Bodies And Souls Collide
by OblivionsGarden
Summary: Everyone remembers where they were when the world fell apart. But that doesn't matter anymore. What matters is surviving, holding on to those closest to us and continuing to move forward, no matter what happens. (Daryl/OC) (Slowburn)
1. When The World Fell Apart

**Title -** _Bodies And Souls Collide_  
 **Chapter title -** _When The World Fell Apart_  
 **Author -** _OblivionsGarden_  
 **Genre -** _Hurt/Comfort/Romance/Family/Horror_  
 **Disclaimer -** _I do not own The Walking Dead in anyway shape or form. I only own the plot points surrounding my oc's, not recognized from the show or comics._  
 **Chapter Word Count -** _1443 words._

 **Summary -** _Everyone remembers where they were when the world fell apart. But that doesn't matter anymore. What matters is surviving, holding on to those closest to us and continuing to move forward, no matter what happens. (Daryl/OC) (Slowburn)_

 **A/n -** _Finally got around to writing this Daryl/OC fic! I've had it planned for a while but kept putting it off, so it's about damn time. It is going to be a slow burn fic and by slow burn I mean I have no plans of them actually get together until sometime around season 6. The title 'Bodies And Souls Collide' is taken from the song You And I by PVRIS. Not intentionally a song about Daryl and my OC but in some ways it could be interpreted that way. This opening chapter is shorter than the rest of the fic will be as I'm just getting things established._

 _Please leave a review, I'd greatly appreciate it. Hope you enjoy, xx (:_

* * *

Everyone remembers where they were when the world started to fall apart.

Teddy was sat in an uncomfortable plastic chair in a circle of other uncomfortable plastic chairs with other people who wished to be elsewhere. Even the session leader, Gail, was thinking of her porch swing and a glass of ros . Teddy glanced around the circle at the people she'd seen every day for the past six months.

Noah and his blue hoodie that she wasn't sure had ever been washed. Julia and her habit of chewing the ends of her hair, which made Teddy wonder if it would come back up as a hair ball like the cat she had when she was six. There was Marcus and Lydia who were so madly in love for saying they only met two weeks ago. Greg and his narcolepsy leaning on the shoulder of Maude who was was nervously picking at her nails.

They all had their issues but that was why they were in that circle. To talk through these issues and deal with them through therapy. Teddy thought therapy was a crock of shit, she just checked herself in to take a break from life. Although, she'd be lying if she said she didn't feel a little better after her sessions with Doctor Stockett.

But in just a few short days she would be back at home, in her own bed with her own belongings. The room she had been staying in was a bland cream colore room. A single bed in the corner, a desk opposite and a wardrobe. That was it. That had been 'home' for six months. How that qualified as a break, she wasn't sure but it had helped soothe her mind. She'd learned not to question things anymore, it only lead to stress.

"Theodora, you're very quiet today. I thought you'd be more excited, what with leaving us on Friday." Gail was grasping at straws not to loose every last bit of interest in her group session. "Are you excited?"

"Ecstatic." Teddy forced a polite smile, sitting up a little straighter before she drifted off into sleep. "My friend's dad is gonna swing by and pick me up. I'm staying at their place until I figure stuff out but I'm gonna go to IHOP on the way home."

"Nothing like pancakes to celebrate your freedom." Noah murmured to himself.

"Well what would you get?"

"Steak. Super rare and bloody." Noah smirked at Teddy's grimace. "Right, I forgot. You're veggie."

Before Teddy could think of something to say the door swung open wide, the handle hitting hard against the wall behind, almost closing it again. One of the junior nurses rushed inside, out of breath and a sheen of sweat on his forehead.

"Doctor, there's an issue."

"I'm in the middle of a session, can't it-"

"It's urgent. It's Melissa."

Murmurs sounded through the circle. Melissa hadn't got better in rehab. She'd been found hanging from the light fixture in her room the night before and gossip gets around fast in that place. Gail stood from her chair and silently followed the nurse from the room. There was a brief pause as everyone glanced from one person to another before they wordlessly decided that the session was over and made to leave.

The halls were bustling with orderlies and various other members of staff. Teddy pulled out her phone, a sure fire way to look like you aren't paying attention to where you're going. She followed one of the nurses to the end of the hall that split off and lead down to the morgue. Three senior members of staff were covered in blood and speaking in hushed voices as more people moved in and out of the doors.

Teddy pretended to type out a text as she watched what was happening. Police had arrived and were being lead to the morgue, two nurses were rushed to the emergency room with gaping wounds on their arms and necks. Soon enough the police had called for back up and everyone was escorted back to their rooms without explanation.

No one slept that night. Screams came from the morgue and the emergency room. Staff passed by the rooms every few minutes, whispering in panicked voices as they failed to stop their hands from shaking. Teddy crept out of her room in the early hours and headed to a young boy called Dylan's room. They'd become friends pretty quickly due to a similar taste in music.

"What's going on?" Dylan asked when Teddy closed the door behind her.

"No idea. Doctor Morovsky was covered in blood this afternoon, saw two nurses with big fuckin' wounds on them. Have you heard the screaming?"

"Yeah." Dylan moved and stood beside her, both with their ears pressed against the door. "Think one of the patients lost it?"

"No. One patient wouldn't cause this much trouble."

A few more hours passed and Dylan had fallen asleep slumped against the wall. Teddy was still wide awake, eyes stinging as the sun rose behind the curtains. It was 6.02 am when she heard the first gunshots.

She was terrified. Dylan shot awake and clung to her arm as she couldn't move away from the door. His nails dug in to the skin of her wrist when she pulled the door open just a crack. Peering out she saw armed guards at both ends of the corridor.

"Close the door!" One of the guards shouted when he saw her.

"What's going on?" She called back.

"Close the door!"

"You can't not tell us! If we're in danger we have a right to know." Teddy shouted, voice lowering when the guard marched toward her.

"Right now all I can tell you is to stay in your room. We have it under control." He gripped the door handle and pulled it shut.

A few minutes later and they heard the door get locked from the other side. Teddy pounded her fists on the door, shouting about how they couldn't just lock them in. No one replied. She began to pace back and forth as Dylan tried to keep himself from breaking down. More gunshots sounded, people were running back and forth, Teddy continued to kick and punch the door until her knuckles were bleeding.

And then all at once everything was silent.

It seemed like hours passed before Dylan spoke up. He asked if she could hear anything from where she was still sat with her ear pressed to the door. She shook her head, an overwhelming sense of dread filling her heart at the lack of sound after everything they had heard earlier. She stood slowly, bones aching from having been still for so long. She tried the door but found it still locked and sighed. Frustrated she moved to the window but grimaced when she saw the drop to the ground from the eighth floor they were on. She thought to try her phone but couldn't get a signal.

Two days passed, trapped in that room. They were hungry, tired and scared. Despite knowing exactly what would happen, Teddy stood again and tried the door. Neither of them were strong enough to break it down. She kicked it in frustration and let out a yell.

" _I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LEAVING TODAY! I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE GOING HOME!_ "

"Hello?" The voice sounded too faint to be just in the hall, maybe another room.

"Who is that?" Teddy called back, heart suddenly pounding in her chest.

"Doctor Morovsky. Is that you Theodora?"

"Yeah, I'm with Dylan. What happened? Can you get us out?"

Silence, followed by the shuffling of feet. The door in front of her shook and was then unlocked and pushed open, revealing the doctor, covered in dried blood. He shut and locked the door behind him, taking up Teddy's previous post of listening for any noise. When he seemed satisfied he turned to the two terrified patients.

"Monica came back." He frowned as he finally said the words out loud. "She bit Doctor Frasier. Started eating his neck right there on the floor of the morgue."

"What?" Dylan had gone pale, clutching at his stomach. "Eating him?"

"We tried to subdue her, but she just bit the nurses. We sealed the doors as if it were a quarantine exercise and called the police. Apparently it wasn't the first call like that they'd had. They insisted on seeing the nurses in the emergency room... Shot them right in their beds." Doctor Morovsky swayed on his feet and Teddy lead him to sit on the bed. "Then the armed guards turned up and everything went to hell. They were shooting anyone that was bitten and anyone who had gotten Monica's blood on them... Said something about an infection and I knew if they saw me in this state they'd-" He looked down at the blood covering his scrubs.

"Are they still here?" Teddy asked and he shook his head.

"But they're right. There is something wrong with them. The ones who got bit." He stood and unlocked the door. "They're attacking and eating people. I had to... Gail, she attacked me so I hit her with a vase from the hall. She kept coming so I kept hitting and then she didn't get up again."

Suddenly leaving that room didn't seem like such a great option. The three of them sat in silence for a long while until the rumbling on Dylan's stomach caught Teddy's attention. She stood up, taking the keys from Doctor Morovsky's fingers. She opened the door, peering out into the hall, holding up a hand behind her to tell the others to wait.

The hall was silent and still despite the clear chaos that had ensued just two days prior. There was a bed over turned onto it's side by the elevator who's door was stuck open and light no longer working. Doors had been kicked down from the inside and Teddy was glad she didn't have the strength to do that. In one of the rooms, Noah lay face down in a pool of blood and Teddy jumped when Doctor Morovsky appeared beside her and silently pulled the door closed.

The three of them moved slowly and as quietly as possible until they reached the ground floor. There was blood on all of the walls, bodies piled against one wall. Bodies of people they once knew and lived beside. Teddy bit her lip, looking away as Dylan clung to her arm once more. The doors were locked but someone had already smashed through some of the glass.

The outside was quieter than Teddy had ever remembered the world being. She stood for a moment, looking around for any signs of life but no one came. Dylan was looking to her for what to do as he had since he first arrived at rehab. But Teddy, as self assured as she pretended to be, was hoping Doctor Morovsky had a plan because she was at a loss.

They decided to head into the kitchen first, since they hadn't eaten for days. Once they were satiated they packed up as much as they could carry and headed toward the main area of town. That was their first mistake.

* * *

The centre of town was full of people. Well... No longer people but they used to be. Teddy knew some of them but they didn't know her anymore. They came toward the group, reaching forward and grabbing, groaning as they did. They ran towards a gas station as fast as they could but Dylan was panicking, not looking when he was going. He fell with a cry and by the time Teddy turned to look, his throat had already been torn away.

The Doctor dragged Teddy inside, the both of them pushing over a vending machine to barricade the door. Teddy dropped to her knees behind the counter, out of view of those _things_ outside. She tried her hardest to catch her breath, ignoring the image of Dylan's blank eyes staring at her.

"Doctor, what are we-"

"Michael. No need to keep calling me Doctor."

"What are we gonna do?"

"There were broadcasts on the radio about everything that was happening." Michael whispered, keeping one eye on the door to the store. "They stopped but they said something about a refugee camp."

"Ok, let's go there."

"In Atlanta."

"So we find a car! Lindale is like an hour and a half from Atlanta, we could make it in a car."

Teddy peeked over the counter and saw that the _things_ were still feasting on Dylan. She looked around and saw a car pulled over haphazardly just a little ways down the street.

"Maybe if we're quiet." She murmured, more to herself than Michael. "I'm so glad I was such a little shit teenager."

"Why?"

"I may have stolen a car or two in my time." She turned to face the Doctor. "Is there a back exit. I don't much feel like lifting that vending machine again."

* * *

They lucked out finding a car so close to the gas station. They filled it up and headed off toward Atlanta with the hope that they could find this camp. They tried to find the broadcasts again with the radio but heard nothing. When they reached the city it was almost over run with the things. They doubled back on themselves and stuck to the backstreets where there were fewer of them.

"Hey, we should head in there." Michael pointed to a store that seemed to specialize in hiking, camping and hunting supplies. "We might find something useful. Or at the very least something to defend ourselves with."

That was their second mistake.

It seemed that alot of people had had the idea to head inside the store for supplies. As soon as they were through the door hands were grabbing at their clothes trying to get a grip. Teddy ducked down, pushing her way through the bodies and shouting for Michael to do the same. She tripped and scrabbled across the floor to get away. Hopping up onto her feet she called for Michael again but got no reply.

She spotted the sign for the hunting section and booked it in that direction, stealing a glance behind her for Michael. She didn't see him but she did see the frenzy of _things_ by the door and fresh blood splattering the glass. Fighting back tears she continued on, spotting the hunting knives just ahead. Before she could reach them another walker emerged from behind another shelf. She turned but there were more behind her.

"Fuck!" She cursed, hopping from one foot to the other as her frustrated tears finally fell. "Damn it!"

With nearly no sound at all, the _thing_ before her fell forward and hit the floor, head landing almost neatly between her feet. Teddy stared down wide eyed at the arrow emerging from the back of it's skull. The voice that came after was husky and Teddy looked up to see two men. One wielding a cross bow and a scowl and the other a smirk and a hunting rifle.

"Don't just stand there girly, grab yourself a knife and follow us."


	2. To Pay A Debt

**Title -** _Bodies And Souls Collide_  
 **Chapter title -** _To Pay A Debt_  
 **Author -** _OblivionsGarden_  
 **Genre -** _Hurt/Comfort/Romance/Family/Horror_  
 **Disclaimer -** _I do not own The Walking Dead in anyway shape or form. I only own the plot points surrounding my oc's, not recognized from the show or comics._  
 **Chapter Word Count -** _3216 words._

 **A/n -** _Please leave a review, I'd greatly appreciate it. Hope you enjoy, xx (:_

* * *

"Don't just stand there girly, grab yourself a knife and follow us."

They didn't look like the type of men that Teddy would usually follow but she was quick to realize she had no second option other than to stay and die. She reached forward, grabbed the most useful looking blade she could see and sprinted after them.

They didn't stop until she was seated in between the two in the front of a flat bed truck. She took a few minutes to catch her breath, just managing to breathe out a thanks. It was only as her heart began to return to it's normal rate that she looked down, noticing the blood on the left leg of her pants. She closed her eyes for a second, ignoring the thought that it was probably Michael's.

"You alright there, girly?" The one driving asked. "Not gonna pass out are ya?"

"No. I'm ok." She shook her head and kept her eyes on the road ahead, forcing the rising bile back down her throat. "I'm Teddy by the way, not girly."

" _Teddy_?" The man scoffed. "Kinda name is Teddy?"

"Better than Theodora, don't you think?" The man made a face before laughing. "What's your name?"

"Merle. Merle Dixon and that's by baby brother Daryl."

She aimed a smile at the silent brother who merely nodded and continued to stare out the window. She asked them if they knew what had happened but the only thing Merle said was, "people went batshit and started eating other people. Crazy bastards got laid to rest when they came after ol' Merle though."

Teddy sighed to herself, wondering where they were headed. She asked but only got a shrug in reply. She asked for them just to ride her back out of town so that Daryl's arrow he used wasn't a complete waste. They agreed to that, Merle saying that they'd drop her off and then carry on just the two of them. Teddy wasn't sure how she'd survive but the silence of Daryl coupled with Merle's inability to close his mouth for longer than eight seconds already had her wanting out of that truck.

* * *

The sun was just beginning to set when they saw signs of life. Actual life too not the reanimated bullshit they'd seen everywhere else. Teddy leaned slightly across Daryl to get a better look and earned a grunt from him.

"You can leave me here... Maybe."

"Sounds good to me."

Merle pulled his truck around, continuing on until he stopped in front of a group of people all watching their arrival. Daryl climbed out, watching the group as Teddy stepped out behind him. She slowly walked towards the group as a tall man with dark hair started towards them. Merle was murmuring something into his brothers ear as Teddy began her explanation of their arrival.

"We came from Atlanta, it's full of those things." She glanced over the man's shoulder at the group of people listening. "I was told there was a refugee camp."

"It got overrun by the geeks. We set up camp here. There's room for three more if you'd like but you gotta pull your weight and pitch in."

"Oh, I don't think that they-"

"Home sweet home." Merle interrupted Teddy and stepped up to shake the man's hand, introducing himself and his brother once again. "And as for the girly here, says her name is Theodora."

"Teddy." She corrected, rolling her eyes. "Call me Teddy."

"I'm Shane. Come meet everybody, we're just cooking up some grub now. We should have enough for you guys too, I reckon."

* * *

"Where did you say you were from?" A young girl named Amy asked as she handed a metal tray with fish and rice over to Teddy.

"Originally, somewhere around Louisville."

"Really, you sound more Southern than Louisville." Dale commented.

"I grew up hopping around the South. Tallahassee, Richmond, Memphis... I think I've stayed in most of the bigger towns for at least a weekend at some point in my life."

"And your family?" Amy asked. "Did they make it?" Another woman, Andrea, gave her warning look but Teddy brushed it off.

"I ain't seen my daddy since I was around seven or eight and my momma stopped talking to be about five years ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"S'alright. I'm over it. Besides, I think family is better when you choose it yourself." She swallowed almost half of her meal in just a few bites, the hunger having really settled when she smelled the food. "I did loose two friends though... Dylan and Michael... On the way into Atlanta, we didn't know it was over run... If I'm honest I'm still none the wiser as to what's actually happened."

The group drifted into silence as they realised that none of them had any definite answers. It was quiet for almost the rest of the evening. The Dixon brothers set up their own tent that they'd grabbing at the outdoors store a little ways away from everyone else. A woman who introduced herself as Jacqui offered Teddy a space in her tent which the younger girl was grateful for.

* * *

Over the next few weeks Teddy settled in with the group well, even the Dixons. Jacqui was definitely a 'take no shit' kind of woman which she enjoyed. Shane, whilst being the stereo typical meat head that Teddy usually poked fun at, did his best to keep the camp running smoothly. She hadn't spoken much to Laurie, owing to the fact that the older woman seemed to be encouraging the women to slip back into the ways of days gone by and Teddy was adamant she wouldn't be caught dead scrubbing someone else's dirty drawers. Carl got on well with her though, always asking if she was alright and if she needed anything. Teddy thought he was sweet as she did with Sophia too although the little girl was much more timid.

Teddy owed that to her parents. Carol, whilst polite and kind hearted, was clearly terrified of her husband. Teddy had met people like Ed Peletier before and they always rubbed her up the wrong way. She knew, however, that saying something would cause a rift and so instead chose to keep an eye on him whenever Sophia and Carol were near.

Dale was a sort of grandfather to the group in weird kooky old man kind of way but Teddy liked his stories and always volunteered to go on watch with him to hear more. The Morales family, like Carl, always made the effort to ensure she was comfortable and had eaten enough. Andrea and Amy became close to her as did Glenn and T Dog. Jim didn't speak much but was polite enough when he did open his mouth.

As for Daryl and Merle Dixon, Teddy was almost certain she was the only one in the group that had managed to have actual conversations with either of them. Daryl barely spoke to anyone other than his brother and Merle was either making lude sexual comments at the women or arguing with the men.

She spoke about mundane things just to open them up a little. Daryl was still quiet and Merle was still crude but she was getting there. She knew that they always travelled around together so this wasn't so out of the ordinary, save for the geeks. She also noticed that they could handle themselves better than most of the group. After a few weeks of nothing but cooking and watch duty, she figured it was about time to invest in some new skills.

"Hey, Dixon! Hold up!" She called to Merle who was making his way through the more heavily wooded area. He stopped and smiled down at her petite frame, so easily dwarfed by his own.

"Hello little lady. Wouldn't wanna get caught sneaking around the woods with Merle now would you? What _would_ they think?"

"Ha ha." She said dryly. "You're good with a gun and I've only ever used a plastic one on arcade games. Think you could teach me, y'know just incase?"

It took a little convincing and a vague 'you'll owe me, if I do' to get Merle to agree. They drove out away from the camp so as not to bring any unwanted attention to the group. They found another clear area and Merle used an old chunk of chalk to draw some crude targets on one of the trees.

First he taught her the basics of holding the weapon correctly, about the safety and then how to load and unload. When it finally came to firing the weapon Teddy was a little nervous.

"Nothing to be afraid of, I'm right here."

"That's calming." She pursed her lips as she raised her weapon only to lower it again. "How bad is the kickback? Only, I've seen videos of people firing a gun and then smacking themselves in the face with it."

"Alright, alright!" Merle chuckled and stood on one side of her and gestured for her to raise the gun. "I'll keep my hand here and hold your arms, so's you can get a feel of it."

With a determined nod and a deep breath, Teddy aimed, fired and missed completely. She sighed and shook off Merle's hand. The eldest Dixon stepped back to give her space as she took aim again. She used all twelve rounds and only hit the tree twice. Neither were near the target but it was a start.

Merle only spared two more clips that he'd gathered at the store they'd met in and after a few helpful pointers and some reminding that being from the South 'this shit should be second nature', she finally hit her mark.

"Holy shit, did you see?"

"Calm down and finish the clip. We better be leaving soon before the geeks arrive."

* * *

Daryl Dixon was a little harder to crack. He preferred to keep to himself unless he was talking to Merle. Teddy had brief snippets of conversation with him about his hunting and decided that that would be how she would get more from him. She waited until he gathered up his cross bow and knife and started to head out into the woods. She quickly hopped up, excusing herself from her conversation with Morales and Dale.

"Hey, Dixon!" She called causing him to stop and glance over his shoulder. "Can I ask a favor?" He shrugged and waited for her to continue. "Merle taught me how to handle a gun and I think I've almost persuaded him to teach me how to fight too so I was wondering, since you seem to be a damn fine hunter, could you teach me?"

"Why? Food I get not enough?"

"The food you get is fine but if something happens and I end up on my own I wanna be able to feed myself, that's all." She folded her arms as he watched her with narrowed eyes.

"Smart, I guess." He sniffed. "Alright, but it ain't easy."

"I wasn't expecting it to be."

* * *

Daryl did his best to teach her different tracks and how to identify which direction they were moving in but Teddy just wasn't picking it up. She persevered though, listening avidly to every word until it came time to wait for something to come their way which he assured her it would.

"So, what do you think of the group?" She murmured, watching for any signs of an animal. Daryl shrugged and Teddy realized she'd have to work harder. "Most of them seem nice I think. Jim's kinda quiet. Laurie is a little full of herself but I think she means well. Carl said his dad died so maybe it's something to do with that."

"Olive Oyl?" Daryl frowned and Teddy snorted.

"Well Mister Dixon has a sense of humour." She smiled. "Yeah. Her and G.I Joe seems to think their homecoming king and queen around here, have you noticed?"

Daryl chuckled and nodded and finally Teddy knew how to get him to talk to her. They shared more idle chatter between them until Daryl shot a bow through a doe. Teddy grimaced and let him teach her how to strip the skin and meat.

"You know, just a few weeks ago I was a vegetarian."

"Never would've guessed from all the dry heavin' you've been doing." Daryl smirked and handed her a knife. "What changed?"

"Don't think I've got much choice anymore." She shrugged. "Honestly I surprised myself with how much I just didn't care about eating meat after barely eating anything for so long."

"Just don't start eating people and you're fine."

* * *

As the days continued to pass by Teddy made herself a valued member of the group. She could fight and shoot, thanks to Merle, she could kind of hunt, thanks to Daryl and she was also a fairly good cook and a friend to most. Not only that but when the Dixon's got aggravated she seemed to be the only one that they would listen to.

So when Glenn finally caved and decided to allow some of the group to join him on a run and Merle decided to tag along, Daryl asked her to go with them. She knew something was bound to happen with Merle's loud mouth and agreed it was for the best.

For the most part, everything had been going smoothly. Arguments were at a minimum, which was a miracle considering Merle was stuck in a car with T-Dog, they found a few decent supplies that they could use and were just about set to be heading back. Then out of nowhere as they were about to leave the department store, geeks were everywhere on the streets.

Whilst everyone was panicking wondering how they were going to get out, Glenn had raced up to the roof to see what was happening and spotted a man crawling into a tank. With his good heart and quick feet he was soon outside trying to save the guy. Merle disappeared to the roof whilst the others tried to figure a way out of this.

"Why is he out there trying to save a stranger? We need to be finding a way out of here." Andrea paced the room, gun in hand.

"Because he's a decent human being, Andrea." Teddy was shocked at her outburst. "If people weren't still helping strangers I would've been eaten weeks ago and never would've made it to the camp... Beside this is Glenn we're talking about, he knows this city and he'll be fine."

It was only a short while until T-Dog's radio crackled to life with Glenn's voice, though with the noise the walkers were making it seemed much longer. T-Dog and Morales headed out to help whilst everyone else gathered in the back room. When the door burst open again Teddy spotted another man with Glenn but Andrea was straight on him, gun pressed against his head. Teddy stayed back for the most part until Morales moved to the side and she got a good look at the man.

"Andi, hey." She gently placed her hand on her shoulder. "It's not worth it."

Whilst Morales and T-Dog explained the shit show of a situation they were in, Teddy stood to the side to watch him. She took in his tired eyes and his uniform, his wedding ring and eyes the same shade of blue as her own and felt her stomach knot.

"I'm Teddy." She introduced during a break in the conversation. "What's your name?

"Teddy..." He repeated, nodding a little as he glanced to his feet. "I'm Rick."

* * *

"Where the hell did that asshole come from?" Merle murmured to Teddy as the others looked over the edge of the roof. Rick kept glancing back at the two, watching Teddy as she squatted beside Merle.

"Glenn found him."

"We really letting the Chinese kid bring back strays now? We got enough mouths to feed as it is."

"If they didn't let in strays we'd still be on the road." Teddy stood, shaking out the muscles in her legs.

"What do you mean 'we' ?" Merle smirked up at her, squinting in the midday sun. "We were set to leave you at that camp. If they had turned you away you'd be on your own."

"No." Teddy scoffed. "I'd be dead."

She moved over to the group, listening in to see what their plan was. Rick offered a polite smile but it went ignored.

"We got a plan yet?"

"We're thinking sewers. Jacqui says there should be access in this building." Glenn sighed and Teddy could tell he was regretting ever agreeing to bring the group.

"Well, let's hop to then, shall we?"

The group headed back to the door, hearing Merle shouts about how they couldn't just leave him there. Teddy rolled her eyes and turned back, kneeling beside him again.

"No one is leaving you up here, loud mouth. We're just gonna get us an escape route then we'll come back and get you. Mmkay, pumpkin?" She mockingly rubbed his hair before leaving, his curses still heard when she was halfway down the stairs.

* * *

Whilst Glenn and Morales went down into the sewers, Teddy followed Andrea into the main area of the shop. She was vaguely aware of Rick talking to her but decided to make the best of a bad situation. She began to flick through the rails of clothing until she found a fairly thick khaki green jacket with plenty of pockets. She pulled it off the hanger and slipped it over the light shirt she was wearing. Happy with the fit she tied it around her waist, planning on keeping it for when winter came. She was just heading to look at the other shelves when Rick approached her.

"I see your stocking up."

"Might as well."

Teddy ignored his presence, instead looking through the shoes for a decent pair of boots in her size. The converse she was currently wearing wouldn't last forever.

"How did you end up with the group?" Rick asked, clearly uncomfortable at Teddy's reaction to him.

"Came to Atlanta with some friends when we heard about the refugee camp."

"Merle?" The way he said his name irritated Teddy and she stood up to face him, dropping the boots that were in her hand.

"No and if it wasn't for Merle _damn_ Dixon then I'd be dead too, so maybe ease up on him, _Officer_." She shouldered her way past him ignoring the confused look that Andrea was giving her.

* * *

Teddy was still in the main area of the store when the rest of the group came racing through. She was quick to follow, chasing after the others as quick as she could manage. She saw most of the group infront, T-Dog just behind but someone was missing.

"T-Dog, where's Merle?"

"I dropped the key." He panted, running to catch up.

"Wh- So he's still up there?"

"Teddy, we gotta go come on!" Morales shouted from the truck.

"I'm not leaving Merle behind, dammit!" She glanced behind her, the groans of the geeks growing louder. "GO! I'll figure something out!"

"Teddy, we're not leaving you!" Andrea shouted, reaching out to grasp the younger girls shoulder.

"Merle saved my life, I owe him the same. _Go_."


	3. A Plan For Tomorrow

**Title -** _Bodies And Souls Collide_  
 **Chapter title -** _A Plan For Tomorrow_  
 **Author -** _OblivionsGarden_  
 **Genre -** _Hurt/Comfort/Romance/Family/Horror_  
 **Disclaimer -** _I do not own The Walking Dead in anyway shape or form. I only own the plot points surrounding my oc's, not recognized from the show or comics._  
 **Chapter Word Count -** _2972 words._

 **A/n -** _Please leave a review, I'd greatly appreciate it. Hope you enjoy, xx (:_

* * *

"Merle saved my life, I owe him the same. Go."

With the finality of her words she shut the truck doors, racing off around the block. The building opposite the store was quiet as the geeks were still piling after the sound of Glenn's new car. Silently she managed to slip through a broken window and make her way to the roof. There were a few stray geeks here and there but nothing that she couldn't now handle herself.

The door to the roof of this building had been chained shut and so Teddy had to make her way back through the building to find something to cut it open. It took her an hour or so to find a set of bolt cutters in the storage room in the basement and she only hoped that Merle was still ok. Thinking only of the herd of geeks that would soon be tearing into the man that had saved her life she hurriedly cut through the thick chain and shoved the door open.

The noise of the door brought the attention of the dead that had been locked on the roof. They turned slowly, saw her, and began towards her. Teddy cursed her stupidity for not checking first and backed off down the stairs. She ran, knowing it would buy her time with how slow they were. She found a kitchen with an over turned chest freezer and climbed inside.

The smell of rotten food was overwhelming but much preferred that over being torn apart and eaten alive. The geeks were slow to trickle their way down through the building and Teddy gave it extra time just to make sure she wasn't about to get swarmed by them again. She moved slowly when she emerged from the freezer, gun in one hand and knife in the other. The sun was starting to set now and she could hear that down below there were more geeks. She shook her head, deciding to cross that bridge when she got to it and returned to the now barren roof.

Teddy made her way to the edge, peering across to find a sign of Merle but saw nothing. Frowning she wondered if maybe she was looking in the wrong area or even at the wrong roof but then she saw the flash of black going through the door.

"Shit!" She moved along the roof, trying to keep her eye on Merle but once he had managed to squeeze under the chain she couldn't see him. All she knew for certain was that she didn't see him come out of that building.

She made to head back inside but could still here them moving around just below. Instead she picked up the heavy chain she'd cut off earlier and re-secured the door, found a hidden spot on the corner of the roof and decided to wait until morning when she hoped most of them would be gone and she might be able to pick up a trail.

* * *

Screams woke her up. Agonized screams but not of physical pain. It was a deeper more emotional scream. Teddy shot up from her spot on the roof, looking around frantically. She could see four figures on the roof opposite, one she knew was Glenn immediately, always wearing his signature cap along with T-Dog. She assumed one was Rick and the other wielding the crossbow was clearly Daryl. He must have come for Merle.

Sticking two fingers into her mouth she released a high sharp whistle, waving her arm after to catch their attention. She gestured for them to go inside and she'd make her way to them. The street wasn't full anymore, nor was the building she was in. Just a handful of geeks that she could dodge past silently.

"Had enough in him to take out these two sumbitches. One handed. Toughest asshole I ever met, my brother. Feed him a hammer, he'd crap out nails."

"Any man can pass out from blood loss, no matter how tough he is.

"One handed?" Teddy held her hands up when Rick swung around, gun in hand. He immediately lowered the weapon, muttering an apology. "What do you mean one handed?"

"Merle, uh... He cut his hand off." Glenn explained. "It's in my bag."

"Jesus H Christ." Teddy bypassed them, closing in on Daryl who was pacing, wanting to find his brother. "I couldn't get back in here yesterday so I went into the store opposite. Took me a while to get up there, by the time I did I just managed to see Merle take off through the door. He didn't come out of the alley and he didn't go out the front of the store. I figure he either went out some back way, through a window or he's still here. Alright?"

Daryl nodded his thanks and moved on with his search. Teddy followed, Glenn and Rick close behind. She knew that giving Daryl that information on where Merle might be is going to keep him from completely flying off the rails. Finding evidence that Merle managed to cauterize his stump and bust out of one of the windows only proved to help.

* * *

Glenn had Teddy stay with Rick and T Dog whilst he tried to get the bag of guns. T-Dog asked her how she'd managed to stay up on the roof all night alone and she mentioned the freezer and the small herd she'd encountered. Rick made a noise and Teddy stared, waiting for him to open his mouth.

"What?" She demanded as they waited in the alley.

"It was stupid, going back alone." Rick pretended to check the barrel of his gun, peering around the wall down the street. "You should've waited and come back with us this morning."

"Some of us have a moral standing, Officer Friendly. When I owe a man my life I make damn well sure I live up to that."

"What difference did it make?" He snapped, turning on her. "You got yourself trapped on a different roof and Merle was still stuck. We would've realized he'd gone out the window whether you saw him go through the door or not. It was a wasted effort."

"Maybe if you hadn't cuffed him to the roof in the first place I wouldn't have had to go back!"

"He was a danger to everyone!"

"Everyone in our group knows that the Dixon's listen to me. Anytime they get hot headed, you just come call me and I'll calm them down. It's how it's been for weeks. If you took a second before you took him down you'd know that."

"I didn't see you quick to jump in when he was beating on T Dog."

"I calm them down, I don't jump in to their fights." Teddy was clenching and unclenching her fists as T Dog was frantically making sure they weren't attracting any of the dead. "It's all about timing with those boys. If I'd cut in before I only would've gotten myself a black eye too. Who am I helping then?"

Before Rick could say anything more they heard a commotion other than that of the familiar groaning. The three of them took off down the road, arriving just in time to see a car take off and find Daryl fighting a teenage boy.

* * *

After finding the hideout and getting Glenn back whilst helping out Guillermo and his people, the group were heading back to the van. Teddy knew Daryl was still pissed that Merle was no where to be seen but he was remaining calm for the time being.

Once they realised the truck was gone, probably taken by Merle, they were racing back to camp. Teddy hoped that Merle wasn't dumb enough to go back to camp guns blazing but she knew what kind of temper he had even before having to cut his own hand off.

The exhaustion was just begining to set in not too far from the camp when they heard screaming and gun shots. Adrenaline buzzed through their veins as they sprinted the rest of the way, spotting the geeks and helping the rest in taking them out. It seemed to flash by in seconds and before Teddy knew it, she was looking down at Andrea, cradling her dying sister.

Silence passed over the camp as everyones eyes fell to them. Teddy hovered just to Andrea's left, torn between wanting to comfort, wanting to give her space and wanting to morn over her friend. After a few minutes she knelt on one knee, squoze Andrea's shoulder and pressed a small kiss to her temple.

"I'm so sorry. I won't be far, if you need me." She stood up and turned back to the group. "Give them space. We got bodies to clean up."

* * *

The group worked straight through into the morning, everyone keeping an eye on the sisters. Teddy went to check on Carol on Sophia as soon as she found Ed's body. Carol was keeping her daughter close and Teddy wondered whether she was happy or sad at Ed's sudden demise. She knew she shouldn't talk ill of the dead but Ed Peletier got exactly what he deserved.

"Tell me that you're on my side." Daryl's low voice pulled Teddy from her thoughts as he stopped to hand her a shovel.

"Your side about what?"

"She's gonna turn." He nodded towards Amy. "We gotta deal with it before that happens but the Sheriff and his wife don't agree."

"I get your point." Teddy nodded, rationalizing in her head. "But it's her sister... If it were Merle and someone else took the shot you'd flip your shit."

"Yeah, 'cept Merle ain't here is he?"

Daryl huffed and marched on to finish whatever task he had been doing previous. Teddy went on to help Glenn and T Dog dig the graves. She smiled gratefully when Miranda Morales handed her a thin piece of fabric when she kept having to push her hair from her face. Her curly brown locks were always a pain in the ass during summer, frizzy one second, stuck to the sweat on her forehead the next. She never thought she'd miss elastic hair ties so much during the apocalypse, much less when she was digging a grave for her dead friend.

* * *

When Teddy heard that Jim had been bitten she hurried over to where Daryl was talking to Shane and Rick. He was already on the warpath for Amy's soon to come change and now they had Jim to worry about too.

"I say we put a pickaxe in his head and the dead girl's and be done with it."

"Is that what you'd want if it were you?"

"Yeah, and I'd thank you while you did it."

"Daryl, he's still alive." Teddy interjected. "We can't shoot a living man where he stands."

"So we wait for him to start biting people?"

"No, we wait for him to pass and then take care of it."

"Like we've taken care of Amy?" Daryl scoffed, nostrils flared.

"That is for Andrea to deal with how she sees fit, just like looking for Merle was for you to decide."

"Quit bringing Merle up like it changes anything, girl!"

"I'm bringing him up so you can try a little empathy for a change."

"I hate to say it-" Dale interrupted. "I never thought I would, but maybe Daryl's right."

Teddy listened to the rest of the discussion, hearing mention of the CDC. Her mind drifted, no longer focused on Jim or even Amy. Did Rick really believe there would be anything left at the CDC? And Shane was even more deluded if he thought there was anything at Fort Benning. He was the one who told everyone about the military bombing the city, how could he possibly believe there was still any way out of this? Or maybe Teddy was just the pessimist her mother had always told her she was.

She was so caught up in her own mind she didn't even notice Daryl take the pick axe and head towards Jim or see Rick pull his gun on him. She walked slowly back to the grave site, picked up the shovel and kept digging.

* * *

It was the gunshot that brought her out of her own head. She turned to run but stopped when she saw people looking at Andrea. She had done it. Slowly, so as not to startle her, Teddy approached and knelt down.

"You want a hand?" She asked, taking note of the smallest nod from Andrea.

She helped to wrap Amy's body as well as they could but that was all Andrea would allow her to do. After that she insisted on taking her to the grave herself. They had a brief sort of funeral and then everyone dispersed to continue with the clean up. Teddy instead headed out a little way into the forest until she came to a log and took a seat.

She re-tied her hair that had already come loose from the fabric strip. She let out a heavy sigh as she looked around wondering what was next for them. She didn't believe there was anything at either the CDC or Fort Benning but where else could she go? She was thinking for a while, loosing track of time until she heard a rustling behind her. She didn't turn, she knew it was someone from the camp and she didn't really feel like a chat.

"You should check when you hear a noise." Daryl's voice grew closer as he moved to stand at the end of the log.

"Footsteps were too precise to be a geek and there isn't a single animal that would walk right up to me like that."

"Huh." Daryl smirked down at her as he scratched his nose. "Maybe you weren't so bad at hunting after all." He sat down beside her leaving a gap between them. "What are you sitting out here for anyway?"

"I had enough of listening to everyone argue about what's next and what to do with Jim." Daryl nodded in agreement with her response and she snorted. "You're one of the worst, Dixon." He nodded again and she laughed, a real laugh this time. "What are you gonna do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well Rick wants to go to the CDC, Shane wants to go to Fort Benning, I don't think Morales wants to go to either and Merle is still out there somewhere."

Daryl thought for a moment, opened his mouth to answer and then closed it again. Eventually he settled on a shrug and a shake of his head which Teddy nodded in agreement with. They sat for a little while more, heading back to the camp when the sun finally began to set.

* * *

Overnight Teddy had managed to come up with a plan for her next steps, the only trouble was she needed a car. She bid farewell to Morales and their family and watched as everyone else headed for their own cars. She had been supposed to be riding with Andrea, Dale and Glenn in the RV but she knew that the CDC was the wrong choice, for her at least.

"Teddy, c'mon." Glenn called but Teddy shook her head.

"I'm not comin' to the CDC."

"What?" Daryl, Glenn, Rick and Andrea all spoke at the same time but Rick was the first to step toward her.

"What do you mean you're not coming?"

"I think it's gonna be a bust... A friend of mine lives a few miles from here. Her father owns a farm, I figure if they're still there then it'll be safe. It's out of the way, far from the street. I know people there. If there's nothing where you're going you can come find us."

"And if you get there and they're gone?"

"Then I keep going until I find somewhere safe and you can catch up." Teddy shrugged. "I'll find a car on my way... Merle and Daryl have taught me enough to survive, I'll be fine."

"No." Rick shook his head, face holding a stony expression as he reached forward and gripped Teddy's wrist.

"No?"

"No. I won't allow it."

"Won't allow-" Teddy clenched her fists at her sides, holding eye contact with Rick. "You don't have a say over what I do or don't do, Rick. You are not my dad." She snatched her arm away and side stepped him.

"Wait." Daryl spoke up before she could reach the road. "No reason you should walk there. I'll take Merle's bike, you can take the truck."

"You don't have to do that Daryl."

"Wouldn't want that arrow I used to save you go to waste would I?" He shrugged climbing into the flatbed to untie Merle's bike.

Teddy helped him roll it down to the ground and move all of his stuff into the RV. She smiled her thanks, awkwardly patting his shoulder as he handed her the keys.

"You know Merle is a badass right? He's still alive somewhere and he's gonna be pissed when he sees you on his bike."

"Yeah, I'll take that argument when I see him."

"I'll keep an eye out for him whilst I'm out there... I'll tell him where you went."

"Thanks." He climbed onto the bike in question and made to put the keys in the ignition.

"Daryl-" She called as an afterthought. "Try not to fight Shane before the days over, alright?"

"No promises."

Teddy chuckled to herself before she loaded her own gear in the truck and climbed into the drivers seat. She ignored the look that Rick was giving her, waving instead to everyone else before she peeled away from the camp. She didn't look in the rearview, thinking only instead of how to get to the Greene Farm.


	4. Secrets From The Past

**Title -** _Bodies And Souls Collide_  
 **Chapter title -** _Secrets From The Past_  
 **Author -** _OblivionsGarden_  
 **Genre -** _Hurt/Comfort/Romance/Family/Horror_  
 **Disclaimer -** _I do not own The Walking Dead in anyway shape or form. I only own the plot points surrounding my oc's, not recognized from the show or comics._  
 **Chapter Word Count -** _4024 words._

 **A/n -** _Please leave a review, I'd greatly appreciate it. Hope you enjoy, xx (:_

* * *

Teddy drove for as long as she could, only having to stop once to siphon some fuel from a car on the highway. She had a brief run in with two walkers but she managed to kill them both quietly. As she drove, struggling to remember the exact route to the Greene farm, she took a minute to appreciate the quiet. The camp had been so noisy the past few days since Rick arrived so it was nice to have the silence, save for the rumble of the truck beneath her. The only thing that would've made her journey better would've been having the radio to listen to.

She missed what she thought was her turning and had to double back on herself sometime during the early afternoon only to find it wasn't the turning she needed after all. She cursed at herself and took a break to eat and drink some water before she carried on. It was well into the early hours of the morning when she finally found it. The big white house could've been a palace as far as Teddy was concerned. She was worried that they were gone, the house left alone in darkness but when she climbed out of the truck, she saw a dim light by one of the upstairs windows.

She climbed the steps to the front door, gun and knife tucked into her belt. Daryl would tell her she should have at least one in hand but she knew these people, trusted them. She knocked thrice on the door and stepped back, listening to the slow footsteps and hushed whispers from within. She was just about to knock again when the door opened a crack, revealing a familiar round face.

"Hey Otis."

"Oh my God..." Otis gasped and let the door fall open to show Hershel, shot gun in hand and Patricia stood to his side.

"Theodora?" Hershel lowered the weapon and quickly gestured for her to come inside. "Thank God you're alright."

Teddy gave the old man a tight hug, then Patricia and then Otis. These people had been there for her at her lowest and would always be family. They tiptoed into the kitchen and Patricia made a pot of tea.

"It's been a while since I last had good tea." Teddy smiled ruefully, leaning over the cup to inhale the scent.

"Daddy, we heard a-"

Teddy swung around at the tired voice coming from the kitchen door. Maggie and Beth stood together, eyes worried until they saw her. Beth's big baby blues widened in excitement as she shot forward to wrap her arms around the brunette, near knocking her from her chair.

"Hey, Bethy." Teddy chuckled and returned the hug, smiling at Maggie over her shoulder. She held out her hand and pulled in the eldest Greene girl to join them.

"How'd you get all the way out here?" Beth asked as Patricia poured two more cups of tea.

"I got to Atlanta with some friends. I lost them on the way, nearly lost myself but two brothers saved me. The city is overrun now." She explained. "On the way out we found a camp of survivors. We were there for a while, maybe a few months or so I'm not sure. They wanted to go to the CDC, see if there is any cure for this."

"You didn't want to go?" Maggie asked with a frown.

"I'm not so sure their gonna find what they're looking for. Besides I knew my best friend would be down here and could probably use some good company." She nudged Beth's arm as the blonde held tightly to her hand.

"Jimmy's staying on the sofa and Otis and Patricia are in the spare room. So you can share my room, right daddy?" She asked and the old man nodded with a contented smile.

"Best head up to bed now, it's late. We can talk more in the morning." Hershel stood, kissing each of his girls goodnight. He caught Teddy's hand before she left, keeping her back for a minute after everyone had gone. "How are you?"

"I'm alive, if that's what you mean." She shrugged but he shook his head and she sighed. "I'm ok. I was getting out remember."

"But were you ready for that?" Hershel was still holding onto her hand and Teddy looked down and gave his calloused fingers a gentle squeeze.

"I was ready to come home."

* * *

The following day was spent catching the family up over breakfast on how she came to be back in Georgia. Hershel was the only person left alive that knew of her time in rehab. Even Beth, her best friend of the past few years, had no idea. As far as the rest of the family were concerned, Teddy had been traveling with her band.

It wasn't the biggest lie she'd ever told since the days leading up to her stay in the clinic were spent on the road in a small van, touring small pubs and clubs for a measly pay. It didn't pay the bills but it made her happy and that was what Teddy needed in her life, as much happiness as she could get. That and the dinner it got her every day.

The family caught her up on how Jimmy, Otis and Patricia came to be staying with them and how they'd survived so long alone. Teddy decided she would stay here with the Greene's as long as she could. She helped Maggie on runs, helped Patricia cook, tended the horses and now she could even help Otis go and hunt. Beth had been speechless to hear that Teddy, strict vegetarian, was now hunting her own food. There had been a time when Teddy would complain about Beth's life on the farm, raising animals just to be eaten but times had changed and so had the girls.

Teddy noticed Beth's changes almost immediately. For the most part she was the same, smiling and singing young woman she'd befriended years ago. But there was a sadness in her eyes, an unwillingness to accept what the world had become. Teddy decided she wanted to eradicate that look and keep Beth smiling. After all that was what the blonde had done for her without even knowing it.

* * *

It was only a matter of a few weeks before things changed again. Teddy had gone out on a run alone, heading out further than usual and planning to head back the following morning. She'd hit a herd and had to take a longer route home but her constant practice meant she was capable of handling herself alone. When she was driving back to the farm she noticed an all too familiar RV parked outside, surrounded by tents and people.

She pulled up around the side of the house like usual, climbing out of the truck with a frown. Something must have happened at the CDC. She spotted Daryl's bike a little ways from the rest of the group and headed over, finding the man in question just emerging from his tent.

"CDC was a bust then?"

"Teddy?" Daryl frowned as he glanced between the girl and the house behind her. "What're you doin' here?"

"This is my friends farm." She shrugged sitting down on the log that Daryl had pulled into his camp. "What happened?"

"There is no cure." He sighed, sitting beside her. He told her all about Jenner and the explosion. "Jacqui stayed behind... M'sorry. I know you were close."

"Yeah." Teddy cleared her throat and shook her head. "Everyone else ok?"

"No." Daryl shook his head picking at the sole of his boots with his hunting knife. "Sophia's missing and Carl's been shot."

A cold sweat broke out on Teddy's forehead and she stood too fast from the log, swaying a little on the spot. Daryl jumped up, pressing a hand to her back to steady her.

"Carl's been... Where is he?"

"In the house, the old guy is tryin' to-"

Daryl broke off as Teddy sprinted away towards the house, bursting through the door and into the spare room where she could hear voices. Rick was slumped low in the chair, skin pale and damp with sweat. Laurie was in the window seat, bags beneath her eyes as she watched Carl, pale and so small looking in the large bed.

"Oh Jesus... What happened?"

"Teddy?" Hershel frowned as she sat on the very edge of the bed, tentatively reaching for Carl's hand.

"These people were the group I was with... They're friends." She gulped, feeling Carl's clammy palm against her own. "Is he gonna be ok?"

"He's stable. We're doing regular blood transfusions until he's ready to be on his feet again."

"Oh thank God."

"Thought you weren't a believer." He smirked, leaving the room.

Teddy glanced to Rick who was watching her with a curious expression. He glanced between his son's sleeping form and her pale blue eyes.

"He's a sweet boy. Always made sure that I was ok back at camp. Asked if I had enough food or water or if I was sleeping well." Teddy smiled a little in return to Rick. "How'd it happen?"

"Otis." Rick's voice was tired and croaky. "He was hunting, shot straight through a deer."

"Christ." Teddy ran her free hand through her hair. "I bet he's beating himself up about it."

"He's dead... Went on a run to the school with Shane. Sacrificed himself."

Teddy's heart dropped and her stomach lurched. She stood, releasing Carl's hand, and excused herself from the room. She found Patricia and Beth in the kitchen, sat in silence. She sat between the two, taking each of their hands. She didn't say anything, didn't need to. Patricia nodded, crying quietly to herself as Beth leaned into Teddy's embrace, clinging tightly to her hand.

* * *

"How long?"

"Three days."

"How'd she wind up alone?"

Teddy listened intently as Rick explained how Sophia had gotten lost. When she had saw Carol's hopelessly lost expression when she headed into the RV to see Andrea that morning she had promised to help in any way she could. She was packing some provisions into a bag, glancing over to Daryl's part of the camp. She had planned to ask him to join her but it seemed he had already gone.

"If I had got back earlier I would've helped with Carl. Given my blood maybe. I mean I don't know my type but it couldn't hurt to try, right?"

"Thank you." Rick smiled as he handed her her knife that she had left in the bed of her truck. "I'm sorry, Teddy. For everything."

"We'll talk about it when I get back." She shouldered her bag and a rifle, tucking the knife into her belt. "I'll hunt a little whilst I'm out there."

"Thought you were a veggie." Rick smirked, an amused twinkle in his eye.

"World ended, Rick." With Teddy's cold tone the twinkle vanished. "I take what I can get."

* * *

She left on foot, heading back to the road and finding the sign that had been left for the little girl. From there she moved slowly back into the forest, using the things that Daryl had taught her and tips that she'd got from Otis to try and find a trace of Sophia.

Hours passed, the sun dipping from the skyline, and the air began to get cooler. Teddy had heard a gunshot from somewhere back at the farm but knew that with the old group there, they would be fine. There was no more after that first shot, a fact which only settled her mind more.

When night finally fell she decided to head back to the farm and go out again in he morning, continuing east to try and find her. She was exhausted when she got back, dropping her bag in Beth's room, by the roll out mattress she had been sleeping on.

"Any sign?" Beth asked as she exited the bathroom, pajamas on. She sighed when Teddy shook her head, toeing off her boots. "I saw you talking to the man on the bike yesterday... He's in the spare room."

"Why, what happened?" Teddy's senses returned to their alert state they had been slowly relaxing from.

"I don't know, but he's fine. I think Carol took him some food."

Teddy left the room, heading straight to find Daryl. She knocked twice and opened the door, finding the man in question picking at the food on his plate with a bandage wrapped around his head. She closed the door behind her, releasing a breath of relief when she saw that he was ok.

"Can't handle one day without me, huh Dixon?" She teased, perching on the foot of the bed.

"I'm alive ain't I?"

"Yeah but you look like shit."

"Ain't you a peach?" He snorted, shifting to sit a little straighter but making sure to keep the blanket over his chest. "What you want?"

"I wanna know what the hell happened." She leaned forward, picking up the sandwich on his plate and breaking it in half. "And this. I'm starving."

Daryl shook his head as she bit into the bread. He explained to her what had happened down in the creek, leaving out the part about seeing Merle. He spoke about the doll and the arrow and the horse, told her that Andrea had shot him, thinking he was a roamer. Teddy could feel her chest constricting, hearing how Andrea had started to become reckless after Amy.

She left Daryl to sleep, heading to the RV and calling Andrea outside. She walked a little way from the rest of the group before she turned on her, breathing through her nose as she tried to organize her thoughts.

"I get that you want to prove you're capable of handling yourself."

"That not what-"

"I'm not finished." Teddy snapped. "I've spoken to Shane and Dale, even Daryl. They think that you've forgotten how to give a shit about yourself since Amy. Dale told me you were gonna stay behind at the CDC, to get yourself blown up. If that's your choice, fine. But you're still here. And if you're here you need to listen to the group. When the group says 'don't shoot, it's one roamer we can handle it', you don't suddenly go gung-ho and take aim... You're lucky that you're not that good of a shot yet cause Daryl would be dead if you were."

"I didn't mean to-"

"I know you didn't. But not meaning to do something doesn't change the fact that you did. Next time listen to the god damn group."

Teddy stormed off before Andrea could say anything, leaving the blonde to wonder back to the RV alone.

* * *

Watching Hershel watch the others, it was clear to Teddy that he didn't want them there. She wondered how long he would put up with them before he'd send them on their way. She wasn't so sure she wanted them here herself. She could handle having Daryl around, along with Carol, Glenn, T Dog and Carl. It was the rest that she wasn't so sure of.

Dale would've been part of her list had he not been having some sort of argument with Andrea. He seemed more stressed than usual and much more tense. Andrea was reckless and had proved that much when she shot Daryl. Rick was someone she'd really rather was anywhere else than near her and as for Laurie, she'd never gotten along with her since she first arrived at the camp. And Shane? All the shouting and raving he'd been doing to Rick about moving on and leaving Sophia... That was the type of man that Teddy hated. And after listening to him talk about what happened with Otis, she wasn't so sure she believed that story.

The only thing she did agree with Shane on was that everyone needed to be trained. She wasn't about to step up and host a gun lesson but she knew that Beth didn't like Shane either. So with a promise to Hershel not to walk willingly into danger and not to go too far, Teddy took Beth out in the truck. They weren't too far from home, just a small spot where Teddy had been going to practice.

"I know you don't like Shane but I would rather he teach you how to handle a gun, alright? He's better than I am and he was a cop before so he's had years of practice."

"So what are we doing out here then?" Beth asked with a frown.

"Sometimes guns aren't an option." Teddy gestured to the knife in Beth's belt before letting out a short sharp whistle. "Sometimes they're too close to be able to grab one."

"They?"

"The roamers." Teddy didn't miss the grimace. "Hey, I know you don't want to kill them but if you don't learn how then they'll kill you first. Here we go."

A roamer was stumbling into the clearing after hearing her whistle and Beth took a few steps back from it. Teddy inched forward, her own knife poised and ready. As soon as it lurched for her she struck, burying the blade into it's temple.

"Alright, come over here." Beth did as she was told, albeit slowly. "Temple is a safe bet, it's softer and easier to get through. Same goes for the base of the skull here, if you can get to it... Getting your knife through anywhere else is gonna be hard but not impossible. Like I say, sometimes there is no other choice. Now I'm not gonna make you take down a live one straight off the bat but I just want you to get a feel of how much force it's gonna take. Go ahead."

Teddy moved back, giving the younger girl space. Beth pulled a face, looking away from the body on the ground. She knelt beside the head, lifting her knife and bringing it down. She cut through the skin but not the skull.

"Not bad, try hitting harder." Beth tried again but still no luck. "Try one of the softer points I told you about."

"Teddy I can't-"

"Yes you can. I promise."

Beth took a breath to gather her strength this time striking the temple and getting half of the blade to sink in. Teddy grinned despite Beth's dry heaving.

"Third times a charm."

"I can't get it out."

"Getting it out takes just as much effort as getting it in. You gotta yank it pretty hard, put your other hand here to hold him down if it helps."

"Sounds like you're giving me sex tips." Beth said quietly, bracing her free hand on the head on the walker. There was a brief silence before both girls erupted into childish laughter.

They practiced other areas to strike to buy some time before hitting the brain and eventually Beth managed to get her knife straight through the top of the skull. By the time they were done it was mid afternoon and Beth was exhausted. Teddy drove them back to the farm, Beth heading inside for a drink and a cool down. Teddy told Hershel how well she had done, letting slip that she was proud of her best friend.

"She's much stronger than she realizes, your little Bethy."

"I've known that her whole life." Hershel smiled fondly, patting Teddy's shoulder as he continued on with his own days work.

She wondered into the camp, having a brief conversation with Carol who asked if they'd seen any sign of anyone. Unfortunately the clearing was in the opposite direction to where Sophia had run to. She promised again that she would continue to look when she went out in the morning.

As they were talking she noticed that Laurie was sat alone, picking at her nails whilst everyone else was busy doing something. The older woman caught her eye and Teddy scoffed before turning to leave. Laurie rose from her seat following Teddy until they were out of earshot of everyone else.

"Something wrong?"

"Yeah." Teddy nodded, shoving her hands into her jean pockets. "You're the one that's always saying everyone needs to pitch in to make this work and yet you're the one sat on your ass playing Sheriff's wife." Teddy continued on in the direction she had been going when Laurie spoke again.

"Why are you always whispering to Rick?" She waited until Teddy had turned to stare at her to continue. "I've seen you having quiet conversations away from everyone else. Something going on?"

It was true, Teddy and Rick had been having brief snippets of conversation in private but it was not what Laurie was thinking. Not that Teddy was going to tell her that.

"Private conversations and for being kept private, Laurie." Teddy stepped dangerously close, not bothered that Laurie was a good seven inches taller than her. "Just like those conversations you used to have in the woods with your husbands best friend."

"That is-"

"Nothing to do with me? I know. But I hope for your sake that that shit is done with cause if I find out it ain't, I will be protecting Rick when it comes down to it and it will come down to it."

Teddy stormed off in no particular direction, forgetting what she had originally planned to do. She walked in circles around the barn, trying to ease of some of the frustration that was pent up in her shoulders when she heard someone clear their throat from inside.

"What was all that about?" Daryl asked. "Thought you hated Rick."

"That is a long ass story, Dixon."

"I got some fresh meat at my camp and all the time in the world for you to tell me."

Teddy sighed but nodded, following Daryl to his camp. She was silent whilst he cooked the meat over a fire as the sun finally set in the sky, letting the moon light the field now. Teddy stared up at the stars for a while until Daryl handed her a metal tin with meat and a few vegetables in.

"How'd you come to know Hershel anyways?"

"I was a singer." She explained. "I played in small bars up and down the country, stayed on peoples sofas. Played a bar not too far from here and Beth and Maggie were there. Maggie made Beth come say hi and tell me that she wanted to be a singer too. We spent all night talking and when I told them that I didn't actually have a place to stay they said they could sneak me into their place." She laughed a little, remembering how they had tried to climb through Maggie's bedroom window. "Hershel caught us and said I could stay the night but I had to be gone by morning. But then morning rolled around and Maggie made me a coffee and Hershel sat and spoke to me. I think he felt bad cause I had no where else to go. That or Beth's puppy dog look got him again, she's damn good at that... Anyway he let me stay here a while and Beth and I just became best friends. She's more of a sister actually, her and Maggie. All of them are family."

Daryl hummed as he ate his food faster than Teddy could comprehend. She smirked as she watched him, noticing that he seemed more relaxed without Merle around. He was still quiet and barely spoke but he spoke more than he did when his brother was always talking over him.

"I never saw any sign of Merle." She said before she could stop herself. "I looked but, uh... Nothing." Daryl nodded, staring at the food in his hand before he changed the subject, getting back to the whole reason they were eating together in the first place.

"So, why are you so willing to defend Rick all of a sudden?"

"You can't tell any of the others."

"Like I talk to the others anyway."

Teddy smirked as she glanced over her shoulder to ensure no one would hear them. "Rick's my dad."


	5. Revealing A Weakness

**Title -** _Bodies And Souls Collide_  
 **Chapter title -** _Revealing A Weakness_  
 **Author -** _OblivionsGarden_  
 **Genre -** _Hurt/Comfort/Romance/Family/Horror_  
 **Disclaimer -** _I do not own The Walking Dead in anyway shape or form. I only own the plot points surrounding my oc's, not recognized from the show or comics._  
 **Chapter Word Count -** _2262 words._

 **A/n -** _Please leave a review, I'd greatly appreciate it. Hope you enjoy, xx (:_

* * *

"Everyone's parents screw them up somehow, right?" Teddy laughed at Daryl's open mouthed expression. "He was young when he met my mom, Molly. He hadn't even started at the academy yet. From what I heard from her, they broke up before she found out she was pregnant with me... He was around for the first seven or so years and he was great too. He used to teach me about ' _good music_ ' and sing at the breakfast table with me. Then Mom moved to live with her Aunt and dad was supposed to follow us a few weeks later. He never showed up and I never saw him again."

She was missing out chunks of the story but Daryl didn't need to hear it all. He didn't need to hear about how her mother raised her, about the school she had been sent to or why she ran away at sixteen. Daryl didn't say anything for a while as he finished his food but then he nodded. He knew from the nonchalant way she told him that little snippet that it hurt her more than she would admit.

"Everyone's parents screw them up."

* * *

"Did you know about the barn?" Shane was marching toward Teddy, fists clenched and nostrils flared.

"What about the barn?"

"Did you know that Hershel has been keeping walkers in there?"

Teddy stopped cutting the wood she was half way through, leaving the axe stuck in the top of the stump. She turned to fully face Shane, searching his face for any sign that this was a joke. She found none.

"Why would he do that?"

"You didn't know." Not a question, a statement. Shane nodded once and left.

Teddy hurried inside the house to find Hershel but found Maggie and Beth instead. They were both wearing the same wide eyed expression when she came through the door.

"Why is he keeping them in there? You have to know it's not safe, surely!"

"Our family is in there, Teddy." Beth's voice was soft as she stepped towards her best friend. "Daddy thinks there might be a way to help them, that they're still in there somewhere."

"Beth, you know that's bullshit."

"And you know I don't tolerate that kind of language in my house, much less around my daughters."

Teddy turned to face Hershel with a pleading look. "Hershel, you can't keep them in there. How many do you have?" Hershel didn't answer and Teddy made a noise of distress. "You keep putting more in there and soon enough the barn walls won't hold them. And when they get out and come to the house they will get in and people will die. You don't want that."

"You talk about them like they're animals!" Hershel shouted and Teddy flinched. He had never raised his voice to her before, even at her toughest times. "My wife is in that barn and my son."

"They are not them anymore." Teddy gave him a pitying look as she moved for the door. "It's not safe to keep them in there."

* * *

Teddy continued to try and persuade the rest of the family that it wasn't safe but they were all firmly stood with Hershel. Beth and Maggie knew the reality of the situation but they were not about to go against their father.

Beth tried to distract her by mentioning the old friendship bracelets they used to have. She rubbed her wrist and said she wished she still had it and Teddy had smirked and disappeared for the afternoon, grabbing a hammer and some pliers on her way out. Beth didn't like manipulating her but she needed to distract Teddy from the whole mess of a situation. She would've preferred if Shane were the one to leave for the day but there was no getting to that meat head. Instead she tried her best to keep everyone else calm.

Teddy returned in the late afternoon with two bracelets. She had found one of the cars on the highway and torn out some of the wiring. A yellow wire, white wire and black wire. She braided the three together and knotted the ends. She'd walked on until she'd found some change in another car. She used the hammer to smooth out two coins, used her knife to carve a 'B' and a 'T' on each one. She headed back to the farm, found a sharp tool that she had no idea what it was used for and forced a hole through each coin and attached them to the wires.

"Here," She pulled Beth's arm to her and slipped on the bracelet. "I got mine too."

"Thanks." Beth smiled, fiddling with the little coin. She looked back up at Teddy who was already frowning again and realized the distraction hadn't worked. "I don't think Shane is going to wait any longer."

"We can handle Shane, don't worry about him."

"I don't think-"

Shouting interrupted them, coming from the barn. They turned to look, spotting most of the group gathered around Shane, Hershel and Rick. Teddy reached for her belt, ensuring her gun was still safely tucked there before taking off towards the angry voices, Beth right behind her.

When they arrived she saw the walkers on the floor, cattle herding tools around their necks. She shook her head deciding it was too late to find answers now and focused on Shane who was ranting and raving as he shot the lock off the barn door.

Teddy paused as the other began shooting the walkers. She turned to Beth, blood rushing by her ears, heart thudding loud in her chest. Beth's eyes were wide, full of tears, knowing that her brother and step mom would be coming out soon.

"Bethy." Teddy caught her attention. "Don't look."

She waited until Beth was stood with Hershel and Maggie, tucking her head behind Maggie's shoulder to shield her view. When she was sure she couldn't see Teddy turned back, taking aim and making sure no one else would get bitten. She saw Annette and Shawn go down and bit the inside of her cheek hoping to god that Beth hadn't looked over Maggie's shoulder.

The following silence had the overwhelming way of making it feel like all noise had stopped forever. Teddy looked at what was left of the Greene family, sobbing and clinging to each other. She stepped closer but then stopped herself. They didn't need her right now, just each other.

" _Sophia_?"

Carol's broken, quiet voice brought Teddy's attention back to the barn where she saw that shy little girl making her way into the sun light. She saw Carol's expression, heard her cries and saw Daryl holding her back. She aimed at Sophia, had her finger on the trigger but at the last second it seemed that she was looking at her. Just like she had looked at her back at the camp when she quietly asked if she could braid her hair. Her hand shook, gun lowered and Rick was at her side. He took the shot, ended her suffering.

* * *

Teddy wasn't usually the type of girl to be at a loss for words. She rambled when she as nervous, she rambled when she was happy, she rambled when she was pissed. She like to talk and so talk she did but after the events at the barn, seeing that little girl... She couldn't think of a single thing that felt right to say. To herself, to Carol, to the Greene's or to anyone.

She let the family have their time alone and left Carol to mourn as she had been denied of for so long. She didn't know where to go or who to talk to until she saw Carl, sat alone beneath a tree. She made her way over slowly to him, sitting beside him.

"I wanted to find her." He said with tears staining his cheeks. "I wanted to be the one to find her and bring her home."

"I know, sweetheart. I'm so sorry."

She slipped her arm around his shoulders, pulling him to her chest. She let him cry, kissed his head and stroked his hair. She wondered if this was what it would've been like to have been around him all the time. To have been his big sister as she always should have been. She would've loved to see him as a baby, all fat and squirming. She would've been happy to help take care of him, even when it came to changing his diaper. She would've been happy to have her family.

"Hey." Rick's tired voice pulled her from her thoughts and Carl pushed himself up, wiping his eyes. "How are you, bud?"

"Ok." Carl shrugged as Teddy gave his shoulder a squeeze, not quite ready to let him go just yet.

"Your mom is worried about you. Why don't you go and let her know that you're alright?"

Carl took the hint and left, leaving Teddy to talk to Rick. She shook her head with a sigh, climbing to her feet.

"You need to deal with Shane, Rick." She began. "He's out of control. That scene at the barn yesterday? There are better ways to handle that kind of things, ways that don't include traumatizing families and children."

"I know and I will deal with Shane but that's not why I came to talk to you." He looked off, glancing briefly at the barn before he turned back to her. "You act like none of this bothers you but I saw you yesterday. When Sophia came out of that barn you couldn't do it."

"Forgive me for not finding it easy to shoot a child in the face."

"That's not what I meant! For gods sake Teddy why do you hate me so much?"

"Because you never came!" She shouted, the anger and frustration of the past few weeks catching up to her in a sudden wave. "Mom moved us and you were supposed to meet us there and you never fucking came!" She didn't noticed that some of the group had turned to watch and listen to them. "I was seven, Rick! I needed my daddy and you weren't there!"

"You're daddy?" Laurie had heard everything, heading to the house to get Carl some food. "He's your... She's your daughter?"

"Laurie..."

Teddy left Rick to explain himself, embarrassed when she realized almost everyone had heard her outburst. She headed into the house, finally deciding to check on Beth. Patricia was sat in the kitchen and she found herself hesitating in the doorway. Again, she didn't know what to say to her. She met her eye for a moment but remained silent and so she turned away and headed back outside. She couldn't bring herself to think about what she would do if Beth wouldn't talk to her too.

* * *

She spent the morning out in the forest, her intention being to hunt to take her mind off everything but in reality she was just wondering in circles until Daryl found her. They headed back together, taking a seat in Daryl's camp away from everyone else. They didn't really speak and Teddy was grateful for that. She was just starting to straighten things out in her head when Maggie came rushing over to tell her that Beth had collapsed.

She was up and running to the house in less than a second, taking the stairs two at a time until she was at Beth's side. No one knew what had happened, Rick and Glenn were going to find Hershel. She didn't know if it was some kind of shock or something else entirely but Beth was unresponsive.

Teddy and Maggie took turns to stay with her, never wanting her to be alone in case she needed someone. It was well into the evening, the sky lit only by the moon and stars when Teddy headed outside to catch her breath. Sitting and staring at Beth in that state felt like it was suffocating her, like if she stayed too long she be trapped in that room forever.

As she walked she overheard Laurie and Daryl's conversation, or rather argument and saw the woman head out on her own. She went to Daryl's camp, the one place where she could be alone without actually being alone.

"How's Beth?" He asked when she sat down beside him.

"Still hasn't said a word. She's just laying there." Teddy ran a hand over her face, feeling the exhaustion of the last two days beginning to catch up to her. "You're wrong by the way."

" 'Bout what?"

"We don't think of you as just some errand boy. You're part of the family. The entirely screwed up, dysfunctional family. Whether you like it or not."

Daryl didn't say anything, just thought on her words for a while. The only family he had ever had was Merle. His mom died when he was young and he would die before he admitted he was related to the asshole he was forced to call dad. All he really had was Merle. Now he was gone too.

If Daryl was truly honest with himself he didn't mind Teddy calling him family. She was the one who came closest to understanding him even when she knew next to nothing about him. The others he wasn't sure about. They were all kinds of fucked up. There was only one other that he felt he could become close to, if he could let himself.

"Hey, you should try and talk to Rick. Properly, I mean. He ain't a bad guy."


	6. A Question Of Morals

**Title -** _Bodies And Souls Collide_  
 **Chapter title -** _A Question Of Morals_  
 **Author -** _OblivionsGarden_  
 **Genre -** _Hurt/Comfort/Romance/Family/Horror_  
 **Disclaimer -** _I do not own The Walking Dead in anyway shape or form. I only own the plot points surrounding my oc's, not recognized from the show or comics._  
 **Chapter Word Count -** _2355 words._

 **To: elljayde -** _Thanks so much for the review and for pointing out I'd been misspelling Lori as Laurie. Honestly it's just because I've only ever seen the name spelled that way but I'll make sure to spell it properly from now on. xx_

 **A/n -** _Please leave a review, I'd greatly appreciate it. Hope you enjoy, xx (:_

* * *

 **WARNING - Talk of depression, self harm and suicide.**

* * *

"I'm fine, I promise. All I'm gonna do is lay here and sleep, ok? Go get some air."

Beth gave Teddy a reassuring smile as the older girl headed out of the door. Beth was coherent but she wasn't fine like she said she was. Lori had pulled her to one side to tell her that she'd tried to take a knife from her lunch and was talking about wanting to die in her bed with her family. It scared Teddy, she'd never heard Beth talk like that before. She wanted to tell her the truth about her time in rehab but if she was honest, talking about that scared her too. She made sure to leave Andrea and Maggie in the house to keep an eye on Beth before she left.

She wasn't sure where to go. They had enough food so there was no reason to go hunting, Beth clearly wasn't up for training, there wasn't anything that needed fixing that she knew how to take care of... She wondered for a while, appreciating the quiet but also feeling useless until she found Rick. He was coming away from the barn where they were keeping the stranger. He spotted her, slowing to stop.

"I didn't mean for Lori to find out like that." She said, climbing to perch on the top of the fence. "I'm sorry."

"You got nothing to be sorry for." Rick moved to lean against the fence beside her, releasing a heavy sigh. "What you said, about me not coming when you moved... I wanted to but Molly- your mom, she never told me where you were going or that you were even moving. She'd mentioned that she was thinking about it but she didn't say it was definite. I came over on a Tuesday morning to walk you to school like I did every Tuesday and the house was empty."

"She told me that you were working and that you were gonna follow us in a couple weeks."

"I called her parents, he friends, her work... I even spoke to the police but no one knew where you were. She took my daughter away from me and that broke my heart. But I looked for you. I never stopped looking for you."

"We never stopped moving." Teddy's chest felt heavy and her voice thick. "We lived with her aunt for a while... Some old spinster nun. We moved around the south, but always close enough to the same school where her aunt worked."

"What happened?" Rick cleared his throat, sniffing a little. "I'm guessing you weren't with your mom when everything happened."

"No, I was in..." She broke off. Nobody but Hershel knew the truth. "I was in a hotel... Me and my band were on tour."

"You're a musician?" Rick couldn't help but smile at the news. He'd always listened to music with Teddy at the breakfast table. "I wish I was around. I would've come to all your shows."

"Look, this is weird for me, ok? I've spent so long hating you and now I find out I had no reason to, it's just... I'm not gonna start calling you dad and try and go back to how it was cause it can't be like that."

"But we can be friends, right?" Rick held out his hand, a peace offering to start new and keep moving forward.

"Yeah. We can be friends."

* * *

It was a little while later, sometime in the afternoon whilst Rick and Shane were taking their captive away from the farm. Teddy was loading her truck, about to go on a run when Lori came running over to her. She closed the truck door and met her halfway, sensing something was up immediately.

"It's Beth." Lori turned back the way she came as Teddy fell into step beside her. "She's cut herself."

"Shit."

Teddy took off running, flying up the steps of the house and into her bedroom. Hershel was already there, tearfully stitching up his daughters wrist. She took a breath and waited outside, closing the door behind her. It was a little while until Hershel came out, a little blood on his hands.

"Talk to her, Theodora. Please."

Teddy nodded, quietly heading back into Beth's bedroom. The young blonde was sat against her headboard, eyes glassy. Teddy climbed in beside her, wrapping her arm around her shoulders.

"I'm gonna talk for a minute and I need you to listen, ok?" Beth nodded, tucking herself into her side. "I get it, wanting to be able to choose how you go out... Before all this, I wasn't on tour like I told you. I was in rehab." Beth pulled back to look into Teddy's eyes. "I checked myself in. I used to hurt myself, alot. It was just how I dealt with things. Then when I was on tour, things got too much and I tried to kill myself. My bass player found me and took me to hospital. I scared myself so I decided that I needed to get help. I told your daddy and he helped me find a nice place that I could get on insurance."

"Daddy knew?"

"He was my emergency contact. My someone to call when I needed to talk... A few days after everything happened he was supposed to be coming to pick me up and I was gonna come stay here a while until I got my own place. I figured it was time to stop sleeping on sofas." Teddy smiled a little, despite the topic. "Funny, last thing I did was try and die and now I've never fought harder to stay alive."

"What changed?"

"People help. As much as I avoid 'em sometimes, they help. They keep me occupied when my head gets messy. I need them. I need you. So I'm gonna be selfish from here on out cause I'm not letting you die Beth Greene. Not today, not ever. You're gonna have to accept that."

* * *

"How did she do it?" Teddy asked Maggie

"She broke the mirror in her bathroom."

"Why wasn't anyone watching her?"

"Andrea was supposed to be but she opened the door and left her to it."

"She what?!"

Teddy stormed out of the house, once again on a mission to find Andrea. She wasn't too far from the house, sitting and staring into the distance. She didn't move when she saw the angry brunette, just turned to wait for the yelling.

"What were you thinking?"

"She needed to decide to live on her own."

"She could've done that without cutting herself... Honestly, Andi, I don't get you anymore. Since Amy died it's like you don't give a shit about anyone but yourself."

"Don't talk about her."

"No, I will talk about her! You know why? Because to me, Beth is Amy and I am you. Put yourself in that situation, would you have left Amy to break a mirror and slit her wrists?" Teddy was yelling now and Andrea was set to shout right back. Both were thankful that most of the group were too preoccupied to take notice of them. Most of them.

"That's not the same thing!"

"Isn't it? Beth is mine and Maggie's little sister and we take care of her. That's what family does. Not letting her make a stupid decision that she might not be able to regret later."

"You act like you have any idea how she feels! How I felt! You don't know and you never will."

Teddy was furious. How could she assume anything about someone she'd met just a few months previous. Someone who was so guarded about their past. When it came down to it, Andrea knew nothing about Teddy or her life or what she knew and understood. Teddy stepped forward, pushing up the sleeves of her Henley. Both wrists were littered with small scars, some faded pink, some old and white. But there were two that were different. One on each wrist, running length ways still a dark angry shade of pink. There were still tiny puncture marks were the staples had been.

"I understand _perfectly_."

She left Andrea alone, once again to think about her actions. Teddy was heading out into the woods to clear her head when she heard a small voice behind her.

"Teddy?" Carl looked more timid than usual as he approached her. "Dad said you're my sister."

"Yeah. Half sister, I guess." She sighed, following him back to camp. "Is that ok?"

"Yeah. You're pretty cool." Carl sat down beside her, glancing down at her arms which were covered by the sleeves again. "Why did you do it?"

Teddy balked, having never been asked so bluntly by anyone other than her therapist. But Carl was just a child and he didn't know that depression and suicide were usually topics that people avoided like the plague.

"I was sad."

"Why?" Teddy smirked at the innocent question, so fitting of his age.

"Because my mom wasn't a very nice lady. And I didn't go to a nice school or have nice friends to play with. And sometimes things get too much for a persons brain and the brain forgets how to be happy. So you think that you can't be happy again and you don't want to be sad forever."

"Oh."

Oh. So simple and so non judgmental. Teddy made a mental note to talk to Carl more often.

"You're are lucky to have a mom like Lori."

"You don't like her."

"We're not friends, I'll admit but she is a damn good mother. Can't fault her there. I mean she raised you and you're pretty cool."

* * *

The following day Teddy was doing anything she could on the farm, not wanting to be too far from Beth. Daryl had asked her how she was and Teddy appreciated the fact that he took the time to ask, despite having never had a real conversation with Beth. Carl had promised not to tell anyone about her scars since she still wasn't ready for it to be common knowledge, nor was she ready to start wearing t shirts around everyone. Maybe when the scars had faded more.

Shane and Rick returned with the captive and she knew something bad was going to happen again. She could see it in Shane's eyes that he was too wound up not to snap soon. Dale approached her in the late morning, trying to persuade her that killing the boy was a bad idea.

"I agree with you, Dale." Teddy shrugged. "But I don't have any other ideas so I'm not so sure my opinion is gonna make a difference."

"It will make a difference. A difference between keeping on and the end of this group."

She sighed, glancing down at the barn. She hadn't been down there since the massacre a few weeks ago. For a moment she wondered about trying to talk to Shane, but she knew that he was too far gone. There would be no getting though to him now.

She spotted Carol by herself and felt a pang of guilt in her chest. She'd barely spoken to her since Sophia. She moved over to sit by her, offering a small smile.

"Sorry."

"What for?"

"I haven't spoke to you in so long... If I'm honest it's cause I didn't know what I should say."

"It's alright. At least you're honest about it." Carol smiled a little. "Has Dale spoken to you?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

"And I agree with him, killing the boy is a bad idea but I think leaving him alive and dropping him off somewhere is just gonna bring his group right to our doorstep."

"Option C?"

"You have one?"

Carol shook her head with a sigh and Teddy gave her an expression that said 'me either'. They sat together for a while, Teddy having missed talking to Carol. The older woman was motherly but not in an over bearing, patronizing way. She just cared for people and had a big heart. Teddy just hoped that wouldn't get her killed in this new world.

* * *

"Dale, I already told you I agree with you." Teddy stood beside the frustrated man as he tried to convince everyone not to kill the boy. "I don't want to sentence a man to death but I don't know what else we can do. Every other option we have is too dangerous... I'm sorry."

"Anybody else? Are y'all gonna watch, too? No, you'll go hide your heads in your tents and try to forget that we're slaughtering a human being. I won't be a party to it." Dale left, saying something to Daryl as he did.

The group dispersed after the meeting, everyone feeling pretty shitty about themselves. Teddy followed Daryl to his camp, again wanting to be in silence for a while. It was dark out when she finally spoke.

"What did Dale say to you, when he left?"

"He said the groups broken."

"Do you think we were right? To decide to kill the kid?"

"Too late now." Daryl shrugged. "Plus, you didn't decide that."

"No but Dale was right. Not making a decision is killing him anyway. We are broken." Teddy rubbed at her eyes with the heels of her hand, fighting off a yawn.

"When was the last time you slept?"

Teddy shrugged as she thought about it. "Couple days ago, maybe. Why?"

"You should sleep. No good hunting with your eyes shut."

"You worried about little ole' me Dixon? You going soft?"

Teddy smirked as Daryl's cheeks flushed a pale pink. Before he could come up with something sarcastic to say in reply they heard loud screaming coming from the middle of the field. They were both up and running immediately, their joke quickly forgotten.

Dale was lay on his back, stomach torn open with the insides pulled out. Teddy dropped to her knees beside Andrea, looking down at Dale's open mouthed expression. Everyone was talking all at once, no one being heard over one another until Andrea begged for someone to do something. This time it was Daryl who ended the suffering.

"I'm sorry, brother."


	7. Flying The Nest

**Title -** _Bodies And Souls Collide_  
 **Chapter title -** _Flying The Nest_  
 **Author -** _OblivionsGarden_  
 **Genre -** _Hurt/Comfort/Romance/Family/Horror_  
 **Disclaimer -** _I do not own The Walking Dead in anyway shape or form. I only own the plot points surrounding my oc's, not recognized from the show or comics._  
 **Chapter Word Count -** _1661 words._

 **To: elljayde -** _Thanks so much for the review (: xx_

 **A/n -** _Just a short filler chapter before season two (: x_

* * *

Teddy had stayed with Andrea for the rest of the night, their argument forgotten for the moment. Neither of them slept, unable to get the image of Dale from their minds. When morning came Teddy left her alone in the RV to get some air. She spotted Daryl by the graves and headed over to him. It seemed so wrong to already have so many graves in such a short space of time.

"Hey." She rested a hand on his shoulder, alerting him to her presence. "You ok?"

"Yeah."

"You know... I know you don't talk much but if you ever want to just vent then I'm willing to listen."

Daryl nodded with a small smile. They stood, looking down at the friends they'd lost for a long while until the rest of the group had woken. Teddy heard Hershel call her name and with one last squeeze of his shoulder, left Daryl alone. Hershel was waiting for her on the porch with a coffee.

"Thanks." She smiled, taking the hot mug from him and inhaling the scent.

"I'm gonna need your help." He smiled, looking out at the tents in front of his house. "We're moving everyone inside so we need to clear some space."

"Are you sure?"

"After last night, I'm sure." Hershel took a sip of his own coffee before he continued. "Winters coming. I'm not going to leave them to catch their deaths. I can see now that Dale made sense. We need to keep this group strong and the only way we do that is by staying together."

"You gonna be ok with Glenn and Maggie sharing?" She smirked and Hershel took a breath before nodding.

"I like the boy." He chuckled at her shocked expression. "How are things with Rick?"

"Mom never told him where we were. It wasn't his fault that he wasn't around, he couldn't find us." She shook her head as the frustration flared. "I should've know it would've been her. She always hated the relationship we had when I was a kid, I can't believe I didn't figure it out."

"You were seven weren't you?" Hershel asked and Teddy nodded. "No seven year old, no matter how mature, would understand the inner workings of a woman like your mother."

"Sure they could. Seven year olds know what the words 'crazy bitch' mean."

* * *

Later in the evening, Teddy and Beth were in the house making sure everybody had somewhere comfortable to sleep. Beth was humming, a song Teddy didn't recognize but it made her smile none-the-less.

Teddy was wondering how long this would last, everybody living on top of each other in one house. She had noticed that Daryl hadn't moved his tent yet and wondered if he was going to be stubborn enough to refuse a roof over his head. She hoped he wouldn't and promised herself that if it came down to it, she'd drag the surly man in by his ears, kicking and screaming.

She was just about to suggest helping Patricia and Carol start on dinner when they heard loud voices coming from downstairs. They didn't sound angry like Teddy expected, but panicked. When the two girls reached the porch, Lori was saying that Carl is gone. When she spotted Teddy she reached for her arm.

"Have you seen your brother?"

Teddy paused, Lori hadn't spoken of her as being a part of the family since she found out. In fact she'd barely spoke to her at all so to suddenly be asked about Carl in that manner took her off guard. Eventually though she shook her head.

"What's going on?"

Beth pulled on Teddy's sleeve, bringing her attention the the herd of walkers. Her heart thudded loud in her chest as her mind went into overdrive on how to get everyone away from the farm. The following moments all happened in a blur, voices over voices and everyone bustling without a clue of what they should do or where to go.

Teddy remembered Rick's plan if anything happened. Get off the farm, circle back up to the highway where they had left the sign for Sophia. She was moving toward her truck, throwing the keys to T-Dog who was ahead of her. When she heard a scream behind her that sounded so like Beth her heart lurched. She turned, saw Patricia being taken and with Lori's help, pulled Beth away.

She practically carried her friend to the car, pushed her in after Lori and climbed in beside her. She instructed T-Dog to drive around, she still had her gun she could take out a few more, help whoever was still fighting. She did her best to ignore her brain. Half of it was telling her to get out, fight the herd and find the others. The other half was telling her to just make sure Beth was safe.

Once she'd emptied her clip, T-Dog pulled away from the farm. Beth turned in her seat, trying to find a glimpse of her father.

"He'll be ok." Teddy pulled her back around. "They all will, they know how to fight now."

"Patricia..." Beth glanced down at the blood covering her arm.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart."

* * *

The sun was coming up when Lori noticed the direction they were headed. She told T-Dog to turn around, head back to the highway but he was having none of it.

"T, we gotta go back. If you want to keep going forward, fine but you can walk. This is my damn truck and it's going back to the highway." Teddy murmured, too tired to raise her voice like she wanted to.

"You're out of your damn minds."

T-Dog reluctantly turned around, driving back the way they came. It wasn't long until they saw an all too familiar motorbike. Carol turned, holding onto Daryl with one hand and beckoning for them to follow with the other. There was another car in front and Teddy hoped that Hershel or Maggie was in there. If they hadn't make it, she wasn't so sure Beth would be able to keep going.

Soon enough they made it back to the Highway, everyone piling out of the car immediately. Teddy headed over to Daryl, moving to hug him but stopped short when she saw the awkward expression that came over his face. With a small laugh she instead gave his shoulder a pat and he nodded in return.

After realizing that they had lost Shane, Andrea, Patricia and Jimmy, the group solemnly decided to keep moving before the herd caught up with them. But once again, as it neared the evening, they hit another bump in the road when they were starting to run low of gas. They decided to set up a camp for the night, keeping watch for walkers or people like the kid they'd kept in the barn.

Teddy was half listening to the conversation by the fire, half standing guard. She knew she'd never be able to sleep after the days events so she was using her alert state to keep everyone safe. Until she heard Rick say what she never wanted to hear.

"We're all infected... At the CDC, Jenner told me. Whatever it is, we all carry it."

Teddy glazed over some of the conversation as she moved back toward the group. She noticed Daryl watching her with a concerned frown.

"Where I was when everything happened... There was a girl, she died. Killed herself." Teddy was thinking of Melissa back at rehab. "She came back and bit someone. She wasn't sick, she hadn't been bitten. She killed herself and came back and all this time I've been thinking, maybe it was something else, maybe she had been bitten and she just hid it... We all have it?" She looked to Rick and he nodded. "So we die, no matter what kind of way, we come back?"

She had no more words. She dropped down beside the fire, replacing her gun in her belt. She tried desperately to wrap her head around the new information. If they all had this thing that brought them back then why hadn't the dead been coming back all the time? Why was it only now that this was happening? Was it like some universal switch in everyone's brains that had all got flicked at the same time?

"We're not safe with him. Keeping something like that from us. Why do you need him? He's just gonna pull you down."

"No. Rick's done all right by me."

"You're his henchman and I'm a burden. You deserve better."

"Carol, I'm gonna ask you nicely to back off." Teddy kept her voice low, not wanting to cause an argument. "Rick has always done his best by this group. He tried to protect your daughter and when she was missing he was the one who went to find her right? He was the one who didn't want to stop even when everything pointed to her being gone. Even when Shane was telling him to move on. Rick has done his best for everyone and for you to sit there and say that... You're ungrateful. Telling you what some wack job from the CDC said, with Shane how he was and the everyone on edge as it was... It would've caused chaos and don't even try and pretend it wouldn't. He did the right thing."

Teddy stood, moving back to her place on guard. She listened to the argument about wanting to leave begin, listened to Rick tell of how he killed Shane. She listened to every word and despite how she'd felt about him for years, she believed in him. But the way he was handling this was wrong, she could see that on Carl's face.

"Hey." She gently placed her hand on his arm after he'd declared that this was no longer a democracy. "You're scaring people. We get it, alright. Take a breath and relax. No one is going anywhere."


	8. A New Home

**Title -** _Bodies And Souls Collide_  
 **Chapter title -** _A New Home_  
 **Author -** _OblivionsGarden_  
 **Genre -** _Hurt/Comfort/Romance/Family/Horror_  
 **Disclaimer -** _I do not own The Walking Dead in anyway shape or form. I only own the plot points surrounding my oc's, not recognized from the show or comics._  
 **Chapter Word Count -** _3628 words._

* * *

The winter was long, hard and exhausting. The group moved from place to place, never staying anywhere too long for fear of the heard catching up with them. They mourned for those that they lost, planned to find somewhere they could call home again, and ensured that everyone understood the importance of staying together.

Teddy continued to teach Beth as much as she could. The young girl was good with her knife now, still wary of a gun but knew enough and knew some survival basics; building a fire, catching a rabbit and how to cook it, etc. Of course, Daryl did most of the hunting but Teddy helped him as much as she could. It still turned her stomach to actually prepare the meal and she often wondered how long it would be until she was used to it.

She had noticed that Lori only seemed to refer to her as Rick's daughter or Carl's sister when she needed something from her. Any other time she was just Teddy, kid they met at the survivor camp. It irritated Teddy but she decided against starting an argument. Things were tense enough for a while after Rick revealed the truth about Shane and the infection. Plus Lori was getting closer and closer to her due date and Teddy wasn't ready to help deliver a baby on the side of the road.

Carl seemed to want to stick to her like glue, something Teddy felt proud of, not that she'd tell anyone that. She loved kids, always had and now that she knew she had a little brother she was damn sure she'd be there whenever he needed her. And so far she was doing a fine job. Carl already liked Teddy at the camp and since finding out they were related, he only looked up to her more.

In his eyes she was tough, brave and funny. She knew how to fight the walkers, how to catch food in the wild, how to secure a shelter for the night and how to keep everything calm. Carl wanted to be just like her and the only way he was going to do that was to watch her and learn from her lead.

Rick was enjoying watching his two children get along so well. When Carl was born he struggled with the fact that he still didn't know where Teddy was. He never gave up, not really. His superiors were less inclined to search for her as they had when she was just a child, knowing that she was safe with her mother. But Rick still looked, still called other police departments to see if there was anyone there going by Theodora Valerie Grimes. He even looked for Molly Flint, her mother but no one knew them. Of course, now aware of how often they moved, it made sense that he never found them.

He and Teddy started to talk more, her catching up on things she had missed with Carl. She would've been around nine or so when he was born and she was sad that she never go to be the protective big sister whilst he was a baby. Rick tried to ask her about her life, school, friends she would've had, even her mother. But as soon as he asked she'd give a vague noncommittal answer and change the subject. She even asked how he met Lori even though he knew she wasn't really interested in the answer.

"So, you said you were a musician?" He asked one evening as the group were eating the little food they had managed to find.

"Yeah." She nodded, swallowing her food. She wasn't sure what the meat was but she'd long given up on asking. It was easier to chew if she didn't know. "No big deal or anything. I just hopped around playing in bars, sofa surfing mostly."

"What's sofa surfing?" Carl asked, innocently.

"I slept on friends sofas instead of at my own house."

"What didn't you go to you own home?"

"I didn't have one."

"Why not?"

"I-" Teddy bit her lip, wondering what answer would satisfy his 11 year old curiosity. I ran away from home and had no where to go? Too much information. I was broke? He'd want to know why. "I just liked to hang out with friends, that's all."

"So like, sleepovers all the time?" He asked and she nodded with a small smile. "Cool." The group chuckled at his reaction despite all of the knowing her answer had been a lie.

"Sing us something." Rick suggested. "I haven't heard you sing since you were six."

"Did he make you sing Elvis too?" Carl wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Oh my god, Elvis, Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Three Dog Night... Kid, you have no idea." Teddy chuckled at the memory of her and her dad crooning along to Elvis over the breakfast table whilst her mum, Molly, grumbled to herself over the kitchen sink. "Not to mention that you're a horrible singer."

"Rude." Rick scoffed. "I was fine."

"No, Teddy's right. You have an awful singing voice." Lori smiled, enjoying the happy moment, something that came few and far between.

"Come on, a little song." Rick said again, waiting for her to begin.

"No, I'm not really in the performing mood anymore." She shook her head, glancing over at her best friend. "But Bethy's got a beautiful voice, right Hershel?"

The older man agreed wholeheartedly but Beth was almost falling asleep on his shoulder. They left the subject, settling in for the night instead, ready to move again in the morning. Teddy looked over at Lori, struggling to get comfortable with her stomach now so large. With a pang of sympathy Teddy shook off the winter coat she had found just a few weeks previous and moved over to her. She bundled it up and slid it underneath the side of Lori's stomach, providing her with more comfort.

"Thank you." The older woman caught Teddy's hand, giving it a soft squeeze before releasing her again. The two weren't friends, not by a long way, but they understood each other and that was enough for now.

She was still awake when everyone else was asleep, moving to sit by a window, looking down at the street below. There was a walker down there, stuck between an abandoned car and a garbage bin. She didn't notice Daryl sit beside her until he spoke.

"You don't sing no more?"

"Doesn't feel appropriate to have a sing song when people are dying every day."

* * *

Lori's due date was coming up any day now and the group needed a place to rest, desperately. By some stroke of luck as they stopped to check their maps and fill up on water, Daryl and Rick spotted a prison. They got themselves into a fenced alley that surrounded the prison fairly quickly, making a hasty plan to clear the yard and close the gate. Teddy climbed onto an over turned truck to cover Rick whilst he made the run, a few walkers trying to grab at her feet from the ground below. But with their teamwork they soon had the yard to themselves.

By nightfall they had a campfire going with food to eat. Rick was patrolling the fence, Daryl standing watch on top of the truck. Teddy ate only half her share of food, quickly shoving the rest onto Carl's plate when he wasn't looking. He had lost weight on the road and she didn't like it.

She watched the group, smiling to herself that this rag tag group of mismatched friends had made it this far. She noticed Carol taking Daryl a plate of food and smiled once more. She was glad Daryl was letting someone else in. He was still quiet and guarded but gradually he was accepting that he was family now. She and Carol were making sure of that.

"Bethy, sing 'Paddy Reilly' for me. I haven t heard that I think, since your mother was alive." Teddy turned back when Hershel made the request, heart rising to her throat.

"Daddy, not that one, please." Maggie looked sad for a moment, remembering her mother no doubt.

"How about uh 'Parting Glass'?" Teddy closed her eyes, hoping Beth would say no. Not that she didn't like her voice, Beth's singing was beautiful and they often sung together. But Teddy hadn't done any singing since before her stay in rehab, finding it hard not to let her emotions overwhelm her when she did.

"Of all the money e'er I had, I spent it in good company. And all the harm e'er I've ever done alas it was to none but me. And all I've done for want of wit to memory now I can't recall so fill to me the parting glass good night and joy be with you all."

Teddy forced a smile to her friend as she climbed to her feet, walking silently away from the group. She began to follow the fence around, willing the tears not to fall. Behind her Daryl noticed that something was wrong and made to follow but Carol caught his elbow.

"Let her be." She murmured and Daryl nodded, settling instead on watching her walk the fence as he listened to Maggie join in with her sister.

* * *

The following morning, Teddy, Rick, Daryl, Maggie, Glenn and T-Dog entered the court yard and began to clear it out. The others stayed at the fence, taking walkers out with knives and the like, calling them away from the group.

It took alot of effort but they managed to clear the new space and push on inside. The cell block was more or less empty, save for a few bodies and one or two walkers in some of the cells. Once they'd cleared out the bodies, everyone moved their things in. It would take a while to air out the smell of death and rotten flesh but it was safe and it was secure.

"Home sweet home." Glenn joked, looking around at the place.

Teddy headed up the steps with Beth and Carl in tow, watching Daryl lay out his sleeping bag on the floor.

"I ain't sleeping in no cage. I'll take the perch."

"What about this one?" Beth asked Teddy stopping inside a cell as Carl looked around at another. "Are we sharing?"

"Maybe." Teddy felt a knot in her stomach as she looked at the small room.

"What's wrong?"

"It looks like the room I was in in rehab." She muttered and Beth nodded.

"You never talk about it."

"It wasn't a fun place." She shrugged, clearing her throat when Carl appeared beside her. She shoved her bag onto the top bunk and moved out again, heading over to where Daryl was lay on the floor.

"Comfy down there?" She smirked and he mirrored the action, sitting up a little.

"Good enough. You settled?"

"I guess." She shrugged, looking around the place. "Think it'll last?"

"For now." He chewed the inside of his cheek as he watched her. "Should hold until the baby gets here. Hopefully we can fortify it, make it last as long as we can."

"Beth seems optimistic." She sighed.

"You're not?"

"I'm trying to be but we've been on the road all winter. And now we're in a prison. Kinda hard to keep your hopes up, y'know?" Daryl made a noise of agreement. "But, you're right. It'll last for now."

"If we find the armory and the medical supplies, it'll last longer."

"Yeah, I hope so." Teddy noticed Hershel settling into his own cell, leaving Beth alone in theirs. "Goodnight, Daryl."

"Night."

* * *

"He hates me. He's too good a man to say it, but I know. I put him and Shane at odds, I put that knifein his hands!"

"You know who doesn't give a shi about that? This baby. Now let's make sure everything's alright."

Teddy had only stopped to tie up her boot laces, she hadn't intended on listening to Lori and Hershel's conversation. But now she couldn't move. She waited until Hershel had finished giving her a once over and then followed her back to her own cell.

"Something wrong?" She asked when she noticed Teddy by the cell door.

"I heard you talking to Hershel." Teddy began to explain. "I didn't mean to listen, I just... Look, Carl doesn't hate you, nor does Rick. Things are tense, and I'd be surprised if they weren't after everything that happened. You just gotta give them time. Especially Carl, I mean he is just a kid."

"Why do you care about me all of a sudden?"

"Like it or not, you're technically my step mom." Teddy shrugged and Lori snorted. "Yeah, I'm still pissed about the whole Shane thing and you and I will probably never be on the same page but you're carrying my half sister in there." She lightly pressed her hand to Lori's stomach, hoping to feel some movement. "All this worrying and stress isn't gonna help her."

"You think it's a girl?"

"I know it's a girl."

"How?" Lori smiled a little.

"Gut feeling." Teddy moved her hand away when she felt nothing. "Had the same one about a friend of mine and I was right. I guarantee, you're getting a little lady."

"I think it's a boy." Beth's voice came from behind the two as she came into the cell and sat on the floor before them. "I don't know why, just a feeling."

"No way, it's definitely a girl." Teddy argued.

"Tell you what, whoever looses can be on diaper duty for the first week." Lori smiled, her first real smile in a while.

* * *

Some of the group later headed off to secure another section of the jail, moving slowly together to avoid accident. However the silence had fooled them. There were far more walkers than they had thought and soon enough the group was barricaded into a cafeteria with Rick hacking at Hershel's leg. Every instinct Teddy has was telling her to stop Maggie from seeing this but this was an all hands on deck situation. It wasn't until she noticed Daryl tense and look past her and Rick that she looked away from all the blood.

"Duck."

Rick and Teddy did as Daryl said, watching as he aimed his crossbow behind them. Turning they came face to face with four prisoners, locked in the kitchen. Teddy pulled her gun, aiming straight at them in case they tried anything. She let Daryl and T-Dog deal with them, staying to help Rick and Maggie with Hershel.

Whilst Carol and Lori worked to save Hershel, Teddy pulled Beth to the far corner of the room, whispering words of comfort and reassurance into her ear.

"What was that?" Beth asked when she heard shouting coming from down the hall.

"Prisoners, survivors." Rick explained and Teddy felt Beth tense in her arms.

"Don't worry about them, Daryl and T-Dog have it under control." Teddy murmured, watching yet another blood soaked towel get tossed to the ground. "If you'll be ok, I'm gonna go help. Just to make sure."

"Ok. I'll be fine."

As soon as Teddy was sure that Beth would be alright she followed after Rick to find Daryl and T-Dog arguing with the prisoners.

"How many of you in there?"

"Too many for you to handle."

"You guys rob a bank or something? Why don t you take him to a hospital?"

"How long have you been locked in that cafeteria?"

They didn't know about anything that had happened outside of the prison. Despite her wanting to get rid of them, Teddy felt a pang of sympathy for them. Their whole world was about to get blown to shit. They lead them out to the courtyard so they could see what the world had become whilst they'd been trapped in the kitchen and she hoped they would accept their taking of the cell block. But soon enough the arguments had started again. Rick was quick to strike up a deal, they'd clear a cell block for them in return for half the food they had in the cafeteria. Teddy didn't buy the 'there's only a little left' shit for a second.

When they took the food back to the others Teddy stopped in to check on Hershel and the sisters. Before she could head back however, Carol caught her arm and took her to one side.

"How are you?"

"M'fine. Why?" Teddy frowned, wondering why with everything going on, Carol was asking how she was.

"I saw you and Hershel together at the farm. I saw how he looked when he realized Rick was your dad... You've known him a while, he's like a father to you. It's pretty clear the way you are with him. The way he treats you the same as his girls."

"I mean, I guess." Teddy shrugged, uncomfortable with the topic. "We're close. He's a good man. Stubborn man, that's for sure. He'll be fine."

Carol gave her shoulder a squeeze, tugging on a strand of her curly brown hair that had fallen loose from the hair tie before heading back to Hershel's side.

* * *

Walking through the other cell block, Teddy was glancing over her shoulder at the prisoners every two seconds, just waiting for them to try something. She knew it was only a matter of time.

"What's a matter little lady, don't you trust me?" Tomas smirked when he caught her eye for the third time.

"Not even a little."

"Stay focused." Rick instructed from the front of their formation.

Daryl looked to her, inclining his head in a questioning manner. She knew he was asking if she was good, he did it alot when they were on the road. She nodded once and continued on, still watching the men behind her.

The biggest of the men turned out to be the most scared, soon finding himself with a large bite wound on his shoulder. Tomas took him out in the midst of an argument about what to do, only cementing in Teddy's head that letting them stay in the prison was a bad idea.

"You see the look on his face?" Daryl asked Rick.

"He makes one move "

"Just give me a signal."

Glad to know that she wasn't alone in her thoughts, Teddy continued on. During another influx of walkers when Tomas opened both doors instead of one, she watched as he threw a walker at her dad. Anger rising in her chest she pulled her gun, cocked it and pointed it right between his eyes. He soon had his aimed right back at her, both staring each other down, chests heaving.

"Teddy, what happened?" Daryl asked, having missed the action during the commotion.

"Threw a walker straight on top of Rick."

"He was coming at me, bro!" Tomas shrugged at Rick who slowly pushed Teddy's arm down, lowering her weapon.

"Yeah Yeah, I get it. I get it. Shit happens."

Before anyone could blink, Rick's machete was buried into Tomas' head. Andrew tried to react but Daryl was quicker and soon Rick was chasing him through the halls. Teddy left Daryl and T-Dog telling the remaining two prisoners to get to their knees and followed Rick, only to find him closing a gate and turning back when she found him.

"You all good?" She asked, breathlessly,

"Yeah. Let's get this finished." Rick smiled, patting her shoulder. "Thanks for having my back."

"That's what family does, right?"

* * *

Once the other prisoners, Oscar and Axel were left in their new cell, the group headed back to their own thoroughly exhausted from the days events. Teddy once again checked on Hershel, thrilled when his eyes opened to see everyone again. Lori pulled her aside to ask her a favor before she called it a night.

"Carl went off on his own to find the infirmary."

"What?"

"He was fine, got alot of supplies but he got pissed when I told him off for it. I know he adores you, you think you could talk to him? I'm trying everything here but like you said, I gotta give him some time."

Teddy nodded, heading off to find the boy in question looking through the new food that they had in the cafeteria.

"Better than dog food, huh?" She smiled and he nodded with a laugh. "I wanna talk to you, come sit down."

"I didn't do anything."

"If I had a dollar for every time I said that at your age." Teddy shook her head with a sigh. "Look, I know you wanna help and we all appreciate that but you can't go off on your own."

"Mom told you."

"Yeah. What you did was great, you got things we needed to help Hershel and I can't thank you enough for that but it is so dangerous out there Carl. We went out on a group of seven and Hershel lost his leg. Your mom isn't trying to be mean or say you can't do it but you can understand why she'd worry about you right?"

"Yeah but I didn't get bit!"

"I know. You were damn lucky..." Teddy reached forward to take the hat from Carl's head, pushing his ever growing hair from his eyes. "I wouldn't like to go out there alone, not now we've seen what can happen."

"Really?"

"I wouldn't want to take the risk. So if you do want to go somewhere or help with something, ask for someone to go with you alright. If only to stop your mom having a heart attack, ok?"

"Ok."

"And remind me to give you a hair cut."

"I hate hair cuts."

"Tough. You need one."


	9. Win Some, Loose Some

**Title -** _Bodies And Souls Collide_  
 **Chapter title -** _Win Some, Loose Some_  
 **Author -** _OblivionsGarden_  
 **Genre -** _Hurt/Comfort/Romance/Family/Horror_  
 **Disclaimer -** _I do not own The Walking Dead in anyway shape or form. I only own the plot points surrounding my oc's, not recognized from the show or comics._  
 **Chapter Word Count -** _2954 words._

* * *

Burning. Back of her neck. Tightly gripped hands. Her wrist. Stinging. Her cheek. Bruises forming. Everywhere. Screaming. Louder. Someone shaking.

"Wake up!"

Teddy dragged in a ragged breath, shooting up so fast she nearly knocked her head into Beth's. The blonde was staring down at her, arms tentatively gripping her shoulders with a panicked look in her eye. Teddy took a minute to look around, remind herself where she was, who was there and who wasn't. It was still dark, probably the early hours of the morning. She sighed and ran a hand over her face. This was the third time that week.

"You ok?" Beth whispered, releasing her shoulders when she relaxed.

"Yeah. I'm good."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"No. Just a nightmare." Teddy smiled reassuringly. "Go back to bed. I'm just gonna get a glass of water."

She tiptoed past Daryl's sleeping form on the perch, stopping briefly to look at him. She sighed again when she noticed his cover had been pushed down to his waist. It might be hot as all hell in the day time but the big empty room made the nights feel cold as a fall wind. She gently lifted the cover back over him, startling when she heard a soft snigger behind her. Turning she saw Beth peeking out from her bunk with a childish smile on her face. She pointed at Teddy, made a heart with her hands and then pointed at Daryl. Teddy flipped her off and continued to the cafeteria, ignoring the kissy face Beth was making.

She got her water and took a seat at the table, shivering a little at the cold concrete beneath her feet. She forced herself to forget the dream, that's all it was after all. Just a dream. She smiled to herself at Beth's antics. She was happy that there were still moments when Beth got to act like that, she was only seventeen after all. She hoped there would be more of those moments for Carl too, he deserved to stay a kid for as long as he could.

She wondered if Daryl would've been annoyed at her, if he'd woken up to see her stood over him. She told herself she didn't care, she was just caring about her friends but she knew, deep down that there was something else with Daryl. Beth thought it was a crush but Teddy wasn't sure. There was a connection, some kind of deeper understanding than she had with anyone else. Not really a crush. Besides, Daryl wasn't even her type.

Although... What is her type? She sipped the water as she thought of her exes. She only had two. Well, technically three if she counted the handful of kisses she'd had with her old friend Sarah when she was fifteen. They were young and experimenting. Sarah insisted she was straight and Teddy had done the same. Teddy was lying but her mother was very Catholic and so she kept it to herself.

Her first boyfriend was when she was thirteen so he wasn't so much her type as a school friend who had a crush on her. They dated for four months and then Teddy and her mom moved so she forgot about him. Her second boyfriend was when she was seventeen. They dated for almost a year and then he left her because she wouldn't put out. Teddy may have been naive at seventeen but she had always been stubborn as a mule. After that music took up her life and she never dated again. She made out with a few people, drunkenly after shows but it never went further than that.

So she didn't have a type. But when she thought about Daryl she just didn't see it. He was a friend, a very good friend and he meant alot to her but she couldn't see herself making out with him or anything. Maybe Beth's just still the hopeless romantic she always had been, like the time she tried to play match maker with Maggie and one of the local boys that worked at the autobarn. Teddy chuckled to herself as she swirled her water around in her glass.

"Too many thoughts for a good nights sleep?" Rick came into the room with bags under his eyes. He got himself a glass of water and sat opposite. "What were you laughing about?"

"Beth once tried to set Maggie up with a local mechanic." She smirked. "She told him that Maggie had a crush on him so he'd ask her out. Maggie went nuts at her. Told the poor guy he was repulsive and chased Beth around the farm with a cattle brand." The two shared a laugh at the memory. "It all ended in laughter obviously. Those two could never be mad at each other for longer than five minutes."

"That was what I always wanted with you and Carl." Rick bit his lip, getting lost for a moment in his own mind. Teddy waited for him to continue. "I always thought I'd find you and bring you home. I knew you'd be a protective older sister. I can see it coming out in you already and when this baby comes along..." Rick smiled and shook his head. "I always imagined you teach him things that only a sibling can."

"Like how to get away with anything?" She smiled warmly. "As I recall it was just a sweet voice and a bat of the eye lashes.

"Yeah, you always had me wrapped around you little finger. Right from the day you were born."

There was a few moments of silence as they watched each other. Teddy liked these little moments, they happened every now and again, more and more as time passed, especially since they arrived at the prison. She was happy they were getting closer, she was finally getting the father daughter relationship she had missed out on. But there were still moments when she got uncomfortable of course, but Rick was understanding for the most part, despite how much he wished she'd call him 'dad' again.

* * *

"Are you serious? You want them living in a cell next to you? They ll just be waiting for a chance to grab our weapons, you want to go back to sleeping with one eye open?"

"I never stopped. Bring them into the fold. If we send them off packing, we might as well execute them ourselves."

Teddy listened to everyone discuss how best to deal with the prisoners patiently. If she'd learnt anything from Dale it's that everyone needs to decided together on things like this.

"They re convicts, bottom line!" Carol said and Teddy couldn't help but speak up.

"They're not murderers. Just petty crap. I've done shit just like 'em."

"You have?" Rick frowned, his Sheriff side coming to the surface.

"When I was just a kid I jacked a few cars, went joyriding... Petty theft. I only got off cause like I said, I was a kid. A year or two later I could easily have been in their place." She shrugged at Rick, noticing his expression, clearly disapproving of her past choices but saying nothing.

"She's right." Daryl nodded. "I get guys like this. Hell, I grew up with them. They re degenerates, but they ain t psychos. I could have been with them just as easy as I m out here with you guys."

"So you two with me?" T-Dog asked.

"Hell no! Let em take their chances out on the road, just like we did!"

"Teddy?"

"I don't know." She glanced over at the prisoners. "I mean mustache seems harmless enough, not sure about the big guy. But this is just like that kid at the barn all over again. We can't just kill 'em in cold blood, letting them go on the road is basically killing them anyway, they don't wanna stay in their old cell which I get... I don't know, man. I'm not sure I trust 'em enough to live with us."

The argument was soon over, settling on giving them a weeks worth of supplies and sending them on their way. Teddy was standing in the yard, idly wondering if there would be any sleeping pills in the supplies Carl found in the infirmary to help her sleep better at night, when Hershel came out on his new crutches.

"Stubborn old man." She murmured to herself with a smile, heading over to him. "Knew you wouldn't last in that bed a day longer."

"It was driving me insane." He chuckled.

"Ready to race, Hershel?" Carl asked.

"You give me another day, I ll take you on."

It was a warm moment as everyone turned to watch him. Smiles were on everyone's faces and again, Teddy made a silent wish for more times like this. But it was short lived as a sudden crowd of walkers emerged from around the corner, replacing the smiles with worry lines and frowns. Her first instinct was to grab her knife but there were too many to try and keep it quiet. Instead she pulled her gun, pushing Beth behind her and telling her to help Hershel back inside.

She took out a walker or two, backing up as she did, making sure Beth and Hershel were behind the fencing. She tried to cover Carl, Maggie and Lori as they were forced in a different direction, back into the prison. Once they had the gate shut behind them she aimed through it, trying desperately to help Rick and the other whilst also looking for where T-Dog and Carol had gone.

"What the hell happened?" Rick demanded when he, Daryl and Glenn reached them.

"The gate was open!"

"Where s Lori, Carl, everyone else?"

"Maggie led Lori and Carl into C block!"

"And T was bit!"

"Anyone else?"

"I don't think so." Teddy pulled open the gate and joined the boys, shutting the gate again to keep Hershel and Beth safe. "We'll find them, don't worry."

* * *

It was a frantic, disorganized search for the others whilst also trying to find a way to shut off the sirens. By the time they reached the boiler room, Teddy was out of ammunition and trying desperately to push back the walkers with her knife. There was no sign of any of the others and Teddy was trying to hold onto her last little bit of hope that they didn't get caught in the herd. It was bad enough that they already knew T-Dog was bitten.

Once the sirens were off and generators shut down, the other stray prisoner dead, the group were headed back to the courtyard. On the way they came across a body that they knew was T-Dog, eaten by the walkers. Daryl stopped to pick up a scarf, the one Carol had been wearing around her head. He said nothing but Teddy saw the look in his eye and the clench of his jaw. She made a mental note to talk to him later, once they were out of this mess. Besides, without a body, there's no proof she was dead.

"You didn t find em?" Hershel called when they emerged back outside. Teddy moved to pull the gate back open for them. Beth gave her a quick tight hug, squeezing the breath from her for a moment.

"You alright?" Teddy asked and Beth nodded, opening her mouth to speak when the cry of a baby cut through the air.

Everyone turned as Maggie entered the courtyard, baby in her arms. Carl was behind her, head low and gun in hand. Maggie was covered in blood as was the baby and Lori was nowhere to be seen. Teddy watched Rick, looking frantically for his wife before he collapsed on the floor. She felt the stinging of tears but forced them back, moving over to Carl and kneeling in front of him.

"Carl?" Tear tracks stained his cheek, his eyes still glassy as he slowly moved his eyes to meet hers. "Is she?"

"I did it."

He nodded and Teddy understood immediately what he meant. Her stomach lurched and she fought the urge to throw up. She took the gun from his stiff fingers, placing it on the ground before pulling him into her arms. He was stiff and unmoving but she could hear his quiet sobs as he buried his face into her neck.

She stood up, lifting him with her. He wasn't heavy for his age thanks to the lack of food during their time on the road. Silently she carried him into their cell block, ignoring everyone else, to place him in her bed.

"I'm sorry." He murmured as she removed his hat and pulled the covers over him.

"You haven't got a thing to be sorry for." She whispered back. "You did what was needed, sweetheart. Just stay here ok, I'm gonna check on dad."

"Ok."

It killed her to leave him there like that but she knew the state that she had left Rick in. She had to make sure he way ok.

"He alright?" Daryl asked as soon as she came back outside. She shook her head, no, and turned her attention to Rick. "Can't get an answer from him."

"Rick?" Teddy kneeled down in front of him. "You hear me? Dad?" She tried but there was nothing. He just stared straight through her. "Shit."

"Hey." Daryl called her back over. "Me and Maggie are gonna go find some food for the baby. You gonna be ok here?"

"Yeah." She looked over at the crying baby in Hershel's arms for the first time. "Yeah, we'll be fine here."

"Rick!"

Maggie called after him, Teddy turning just in time to see him pick up and axe and go marching back inside. She made to go after him but Daryl caught his arm, recalling what Carol had said to him when he wanted to comfort Teddy not to long ago.

"Let him be."

She stayed to watch Maggie and Daryl leave on the bike, giving Maggie a brief thank you for handling the situation as best as she could. As soon as they were gone she went to follow Rick again but this time Hershel caught her arm.

"You don't need to see your father in the state he is in right now."

"We don't know how many walkers are in there, we can't just leave him."

"I'll get him." Glenn spoke up, not waiting for protest.

Needing something to do, Teddy helped Hershel back into the cell block, where Beth was trying desperately to calm the baby. Carl was with her, holding his baby sibling in his arms.

"It's a girl." Beth whispered to Teddy. "You were right."

"Told you." She ran a finger gently across the baby's cheek. "She won't settle? Come here." She took the baby from Beth, wrapping her cover around her a little more securely. She gestured for Carl to follow her back to her cell, sitting on her bunk and resting her head against the wall. She held the baby against her chest, letting Carl curl into her side so he could see his sister. "I'm lying on the moon. My dear, I'll be there soon." She sung the words softly, voice cracking as she did.

"Dad used to sing this." Carl murmured.

"It's a quiet and starry place. Time's we're swallowed up in space we're here a million miles away." Teddy finished the rest of the song, smiling when the baby was quietly sleeping, Carl watching her in silence.

By the time Daryl and Maggie got back she was awake, and boy was she hungry. Teddy let Carl carry her outside, following him closely.

"How's she doing?" Daryl asked, taking the baby from him. "She got a name yet?"

"Not yet. But I was thinking maybe Sofia." Carl answered, causing everyone to feel that too familiar lump in their throat. "Then there's Carol, too. And... Andrea. Amy. Jacqui. Patricia. Or... Lori. I don't know."

No one answered him. It was a harsh reminder of just how many people they'd lost and that was just the girls. Daryl took a bottle of formula from Maggie, taking his time to feed the baby.

"You like that? Huh? Little ass-kicker. Right? That's a good name, right? Little ass-kicker." Everyone chuckled at the usually surly redneck cooing over the baby. Teddy moved closer, cradling her head in her hand and watching as she greedily took her formula. "You like that, huh? You like that, sweetheart? Little ass-kicker. You like that, huh?"

"You're good with her." Teddy whispered, fighting a yawn and ignoring the smirk that had returned to Beth's face as she watched them together.

"You ok?" He asked and for a moment she hesitated before answering with an honest 'no'. He nodded, he understood.

Soon enough the baby was settled beside Carl in Teddy's bunk, Beth sleeping above them. Teddy herself sat on the floor, leaning on the wall to watch her siblings, right there in case they needed her in the night. Daryl came into the room, sitting beside her.

"He'll be alright." He looked pointedly at Carl. "So will Rick."

"I know." She leaned her head on his shoulder, feeling him tense for a brief moment before relaxing. "We'll find Carol."

"Find her?"

"There was no body. She could still be alive."

"We thought that about Sofia." Daryl's tone was harsh but Teddy knew it was just his natural defense mechanism when he was upset. She used to have a similar one.

"Carol is tougher than we think. Don't give up on her." She lifted her head, giving him a tired smile as he headed out of the room.

"Goodnight, Teddy." Daryl called from out on the perch.

"Night, Daryl."


	10. A Stranger Calls

**Title -** _Bodies And Souls Collide_  
 **Chapter title -** _A Stranger Calls_  
 **Author -** _OblivionsGarden_  
 **Genre -** _Hurt/Comfort/Romance/Family/Horror_  
 **Disclaimer -** _I do not own The Walking Dead in anyway shape or form. I only own the plot points surrounding my oc's, not recognized from the show or comics._  
 **Chapter Word Count -** _2433 words._

* * *

"Can I help you find something?" Hershel's voice startled Teddy as she was knelt by the boxes of medical supplies one late evening.

"Figured you'd be louder on those things." She nodded at his crutches, dropping a package of dressings back into the box. "I need to sleep."

"Sleeping pills? Is that really a wise decision?"

"I'm not in that place anymore." She murmured, taking a seat on one of the chairs in the cafeteria. "I don't want to have to take them but I keep having these damn nightmares. I haven't slept properly in weeks."

"I've noticed." Hershel took a seat beside her, noticing the dark circles beneath her eyes. "Unfortunately we don't have any sleeping pills here. Mention it to Glenn and Maggie, see if they can't find some on their next run."

"No." Teddy shook her head firmly. "I don't want everyone to know."

"Bad dreams are nothing to be ashamed of. In fact I think you'll find that most of us have 'em nowadays."

"Just, don't tell anyone please. It's bad enough that Beth's worrying about me without adding everyone else too." She was grateful when Hershel nodded his agreement. Unfortunately that left her back on square one with no solution and so reluctantly she headed back to bed to stare into the darkness until it was time to wake up.

* * *

Teddy was still worried about Rick, still wanted to go to him but Glenn assured her that he was fine and just needed time. Daryl promised her that if he hadn't returned by that afternoon then he would go to him for her. When Rick did emerge over breakfast that morning, her worries weren't put to rest. His eyes weren't focused and clearly, nor was his mind. He came to check on his children and ensure things were ok before leaving again.

Gradually everyone began to leave, going about their jobs for the day. Soon enough it was just Hershel, Daryl, Teddy and the new baby. Daryl was cleaning a gun at one table whilst Teddy sat with her half sister in her arms, Hershel watching her fondly.

"She'll be alright." He murmured and Teddy sighed. "She's got you to look up to."

"I turned out ok." She shook her head, frustration crossing her face as she looked at the infant. "I only turned out ok cause I had my daddy for seven years to teach me things. He taught me everything. He taught me regular stuff, like how to ride a bike and tie my shoelaces but it was other stuff too." She didn't notice that Daryl had stopped what he was doing to listen to her. "He taught me how to be brave and ignore bullies at school, how to be the bigger person, how a little kindness can go a long way. He taught me stuff about life, even at seven years old. Stuff that Carl and this baby need to learn from him. Especially in this world." She stood up, satisfied that the baby was settled and would now rest easy. "Besides, I still got some being mad at him to play out and it's not worth it if he ain't here to see it."

She headed into the cell block to lay down the baby, assuming the footsteps behind her would be Beth's. When she turned to see Daryl she was confused.

"You're dad will come back." He said solemnly. "You told me not to loose hope for Carol, right?" He asked and she nodded. "So don't loose hope for your dad."

"Thanks Daryl."

"He's a good man. You say he taught you that kindness goes a long way... Went a long way with me." His voice became quiet as he said the last part, almost embarrassed to say it.

"I'm glad." Teddy smiled, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder. "Have you finally accepted you're part of the family then?" She teased, knowing he was still on the edges of the group, although closer than he had been at the farm. He shrugged and made a non committal noise before heading away from the cells, calling for Carl and Oscar.

* * *

With Maggie and Glenn on a run and Oscar, Carl and Daryl ensuring the halls were empty, only Teddy, Beth and Hershel were left in the cafeteria and cells. The other prisoner, Axel, was wondering around somewhere, his footsteps echoing around them occasionally but other than that it was quiet. Beth was reading, a book she'd found in one of the cells that Teddy could see she wasn't fond of. Hershel was re organizing the medical supplies, making note of things that they could look for on the next run. Teddy was sat on the end of her bunk, watching the baby as she tapped a tune onto her knees.

She thought about taking a nap but wanted to be ready if she was needed. Besides, she knew her nap would turn into a nightmare so it would be pointless. Soon enough, Carl and Oscar returned, informing her that Daryl was still down in the halls but it was empty so he was safe. She wondered if he was ok but Carl told her he might just need some space. She took a moment, realizing how smart he was becoming for such a young age. She wished he had had more time to be a child but that innocence had died along with his mother.

She headed into the cafeteria, ready to feed the baby when Rick returned. He seemed more coherent than he had been but still not fully there. He moved to Hershel, who had been holding the baby whilst Teddy prepared the formula, and took the baby from him. She crossed the room, lightly wrapping her arms around her dad, for the first time since she was a child.

"Thanks for coming back." She smiled, holding up the bottle. "You want to feed her?"

Rick gratefully took the bottle and sat down, feeding his baby for the first time. When she was full and had been burped, the two headed outside to find the final member of their little family. Carl smiled when he saw his dad, and smiled even wider when he saw the relief on Teddy's face. The peace was short lived however, when Rick handed the baby to Carl and wondered to the fence, bringing their attention to a bleeding, dark skinned woman with an expression of distress.

* * *

"Is she bit?"

"Gunshot."

Teddy rushed after them, quickly handing the baby over to Beth as soon as they were inside, turning to help her dad handle this unexpected visitor. The woman was panicked, clearly she'd lost alot of blood, who knows how long ago she'd been hit.

"Who the hell is this?" Daryl asked, arriving suddenly at the door and for the first time, Teddy realized just how calm his presence made her. In the midst of all the commotion the stranger had caused she had been panicking, wondering if she would be a threat or a friend and now with just a simple question her heart slowly returned to it's normal pace and her mind began to think methodically on how best to handle the situation.

He frowned at her half smile as Rick asked the woman her name. He tilted his head, a silent 'you ok?'. She nodded, giving him a full smile which only made his brows furrow further. But she had said she was ok and so he continued on.

"Y'all come on in here."

"Everything all right?"

"You're gonna wanna see this."

Curious, the group followed him, leaving the stranger behind. Daryl lead them to the cells, stepping back s everyone could see Carol, sitting up on the lower bunk. She seemed exhausted and weary but she was alive and that was the best news the group had had in a while.

"How?" Rick asked after hugging her.

"Solitary." Carol answered, reaching for Teddy. Teddy gave her a good squeeze, relieved to see her friend alive and well.

"Poor thing fought her way into a cell. Must have passed out. Dehydrated."

When Carol saw the baby, Teddy stepped back, looking at Daryl who was chewing on his thumb nail.

"That's a bad habit, y'know." She gently pulled on his arm, stopping his nibbling.

"Thanks." Daryl was murmuring, purposefully Teddy knew, so she leaned in to hear him over the others. "For not giving up on her... on me."

"I'm too stubborn to give up." She shrugged. "Besides, I know you'd do the same for me... I hope so, at least."

"O'course I would."

"Just one thing, Dixon." Teddy was smirking and Daryl was fighting the urge to mirror her expression.

"What's that?"

"I told you so."

* * *

The group discussed what their plan was concerning the stranger and after discovering what was in the basket she was carrying they suddenly realized that Maggie and Glenn still hadn't returned from their run. Their was a feeling of guilt in everyone that it had taken them so long to notice the absence of their friends but with the manic few days and this new stressful situation, they knew they'd be forgiven. After they discovered that the stranger came from another town, a town she thought Glenn and Maggie may be being held, there was more deciding to be done whilst Hershel tended to her bullet wound.

"This is Maggie and Glenn. Why are we even debating?" Beth was tense, had been ever since it became clear where her sister and Glenn were.

"We ain't. I'll go after them." Daryl didn't miss a beat. He knew how worried the blonde girl was and with her worry came Teddy's worry and he owed her more than he'd ever owed anyone.

"Well, this place sounds pretty secure. You can't go alone."

"I'll go." Beth spoke up and Teddy cringed.

"Me, too."

"I'm in."

Daryl, Axel and Oscar went to load up as much ammo as they could whilst Teddy pulled Beth to one side.

"You gotta stay here."

"But I gotta go get Maggie back. I'll be fine, you've been teaching me."

"I know. But I don't think you're ready to dive in headfirst. Let me go in your place. Please?"

Beth sighed but ultimately knew Teddy was right, she wasn't ready for something like this. Maybe one day, with a little more practice. And she knew when that day came Teddy would be right at her side.

"Wasn't this place overrun?" The stranger, who had revealed her name to be Michonne, asked as she approached the girls.

"It was."

"And you cleared it out all by yourselves? Just the few of you?"

"There were others."

Teddy watched her expression. Sympathy, pity, curiosity... Sighing, she backed away heading over to where Carl and Rick were talking. She couldn't get much of a read on Michonne, she was guarded and it would take alot to break through her walls. If she was around that long.

"Daryl's been calling her Ass-Kicker." She heard when she neared her family.

"Ass-Kicker?" Rick tilted his head as he glanced at Teddy. "Has he, now?"

"Don't look at me, I think it's a fine name." She shrugged.

"I've been thinking, what should we really call her?"

"What do you think?"

"Remember my third grade teacher, Mrs Mueller? Her first name was Judith. Do you think that's a good name?"

"I think that's-" Rick paused, looking again at his eldest. "That's a fine name. Judith it is."

"Judith Ass Kicker Grimes." Teddy chuckled. "Got a ring to it, huh?"

* * *

The whole group was on high alert as soon as the car passed the prison fencing. Running through the woods with what gear they could carry and eventually finding themselves in a run down cabin. Then pushing on forward until the were outside the gates of Woodbury. The walls were high, lit torches casting shadows of flame up the walls either side and a handful of men, armed with various weapons pacing back and forth. This was no home, this was a fortress.

Michonne disappeared for a moment but soon returned to lead them into a house which would give them access to the street. Rick threatened a man that came in to find them, thinking they were stragglers trying to avoid the curfew. The man clearly had no knowledge of any prisoners.

Soon enough they found themselves towards the back of the community, a building that didn't seem to hold anything useful. They sneaked their way through, hearing someone with a husky voice just beyond the wall. Daryl threw a smoke bomb, Rick and Oscar quickly grabbing Glenn and Maggie and guiding them back out whilst Teddy and Daryl covered them. They hid themselves in another building, keeping away from the windows to avoid being seen whilst Maggie tried to help Glenn.

"Daryl, this was Merle. It was. He did this."

Both Daryl and Teddy stopped at Glenn's words. Daryl because it was confirmation that his brother was alive, Teddy because this could potentially be bad news. If Merle was the cause for the state of Glenn's face, had thrown a walker at him, planned to execute them like Glenn was saying... There was no way the group would allow Merle back in. But it was Daryl brother, Teddy's friend. She shook her head, deciding she'd cross that bridge when they got to it. If they got to it. First they had to get out of Woodbury alive.

They shot their way down the street, heading toward the way out. There were too many men, Glenn was too hurt to hurry.

"You guys go ahead. I'm gonna lay down some cover fire." Daryl stepped away from the group to take aim and Teddy's stomach lurched.

"No, we gotta stay together."

"Too hairy. I'll be right behind you. Ready?"

"I'll help."

"Teddy-"

"No, you said it yourself Dixon, we make a good team."

There was no more time to argue, people were coming. Rick and the others headed for the wall, Teddy was a little further back than Daryl, shooting as many men as she could. She glanced away for a second, watching everyone make it over the wall safely. But when she turned back Daryl was gone and there was a large man heading straight for her. She dove behind cover, quickly blind firing overhead until she head the man drop. She peered out from behind her spot, managing to catch the last glimpse of someone dragging Daryl, bag over his head, down the street and out of sight before she could get a good aim.


	11. Little White Lies

**Title -** _Bodies And Souls Collide_  
 **Chapter title -** _Little While Lies_  
 **Author -** _OblivionsGarden_  
 **Genre -** _Hurt/Comfort/Romance/Family/Horror_  
 **Disclaimer -** _I do not own The Walking Dead in anyway shape or form. I only own the plot points surrounding my oc's, not recognized from the show or comics._  
 **Chapter Word Count -** _2675 words._

* * *

Teddy managed to get herself hidden before anyone else could see her. When the noise died down just enough, she rushed to the wall and let out a short sharp whistle to catch Rick's eye. She beckoned him back over before taking cover again.

"What's going on? Where's Daryl?" Rick asked as he arrived with Maggie.

"Someone grabbed him, had a bag over his head." She explained, breathless as she gestured down the street. "Everyone headed that way."

"Let's go. Stay close."

The trio followed the sounds of chanting to a make shift arena, Daryl and Merle in the centre. Merle was above Daryl, holding him down but Teddy couldn't see much more than that from their vantage point. Maggie took aim, took down a walker before Rick threw in another smoke bomb.

It was difficult to see and everything seemed to be speeding up but eventually the group were heading back to the cars where Glenn and the mystery woman, Michonne, would be waiting.

"Ri-" Teddy cut herself off. She'd made a promise to herself that after everything that had happened since they arrived at the prison, life was too short to be hell bent on pushing Rick away for something he had no control over. The least she could do was call him how she should. "Hey, dad?"

He stopped walking for just a second, the name catching him off guard, before falling into step with her. "It's dad now?" He murmured just loud enough for her.

"You are my dad aren't you?" She shrugged, mirroring the small smile that graced his light in the midst of hectic situation. "Perhaps one of us should go ahead, try and make sure Glenn doesn't try to wail on Merle as soon as he sees him."

"Shit, Glenn." Rick glanced over his shoulder at Merle who had a funny sort of frown on his face. "I'll talk to Glenn, you talk to him. You did say you were the one who could get through to the Dixon's right?"

Teddy nodded and slipped back to walk with Merle, who was smirking down at her now. She tilted her head to the side, waiting for the smart ass remark that he was bound to make.

"Dad? You and Officer friendly into some kinky shit? You never struck me as the type."

"No! He's my dad." She grimaced. "Like actually blood related, Carl is my half brother."

"Well how about that?" Merle chuckled. "You didn't grow up with him."

"No."

"That's obvious. You don't have a stick up your ass."

"Listen, when we get back to the car Glenn's gonna be there and chances are he's gonna want your head on a pike."

"Let him try."

"Dixon, I'm asking you nicely to just stay at the back and let us handle him."

"What about the negro girl? She's pretty damn handy with that sword."

"I'm pretty handy with my gun."

"Well look at you! Old Merle disappears for a little while and suddenly you're a bad ass." Merle laughed loudly and draped his arm over her shoulder. "I'm almost proud."

Teddy hid a laugh and hurried to catch up with the others, already hearing Glenn's protests from up ahead. Whilst Rick and Daryl were preoccupied with Glenn and Maggie, Teddy pulled her gun on Michonne who had immediately pulled out her katana.

"He tried to kill me!" Michonne's eyes were wide, flicking back and forth between Teddy and Merle who was behind her.

"Now's not the time. For all we know they're right behind us." Teddy tried to reason but there was too much commotion for anyone to take notice.

It wasn't long until Merle was unconscious on the floor, Rick having knocked him out after learning that Andrea was back in Woodbury. They left him to wake up on his own, moving off the side to have a much calmer discussion about what to do. Rick, Glenn and Maggie were hell bent on leaving Merle out here alone. Daryl, of course, wanted Merle to come back with them. Teddy? She was Merle's friend but she wasn't an idiot. She could see what he had done to Glenn, saw how he had the personality that rubbed people the wrong way. She knew taking Merle back would only spell trouble.

"Do you really want him sleeping in the same cell block as Carol or Beth?" Glenn demanded of both Daryl and Teddy.

"He ain't a rapist." Daryl sounded disgusted at the suggestion and even Teddy felt a twinge of anger at the remark.

"Well, his buddy is."

"They ain't buddies no more. Not after last night."

Teddy glanced at Maggie, wondering if Glenn was right. Had this Governor really done that? Making a mental note to talk to her later, when they were safe, she focused back on the discussion.

"There's no way Merle's gonna live there without putting everyone at each other's throats."

"So we put him in a different cell block." She suggested. "Axel's gonna be alone now. That way we're not leaving him out here alone but he's not in with everyone else."

"It won't work!" Glenn reiterated, frustrated that anyone would even entertain the idea of bringing back Merle Dixon.

"So you're gonna cut Merle loose and bring the last samurai home with us?"

Teddy muttered to herself, stepping back a little to try and think of some way to settle this. She watched Michonne for a moment. She needed medical help before she could be sent on her way, that much was clear. Teddy still wasn't sure if she could be trusted. Sure, she had helped them this time but that doesn't prove her loyalty.

She turned, watching as Merle leaned his back against the tree, rubbing at the skin of his arm where the metal touched it. She cursed herself, wishing she had been quicker back to that rooftop back in Atlanta. Then they never would've been having this conversation.

"No him, no me."

"What?" Teddy turned back upon hearing Daryl's words. "What do you mean?"

"It was always Merle and I before this-"

"You're kidding, right?" Teddy scoffed but Daryl just shrugged.

"You serious? You're just gonna leave like that?"

"You'd do the same thing."

"What do you want us to tell Carol?"

"She'll understand. Say good-bye to your pop for me."

Teddy was stunned, watching him and her dad walk to the car. She tried to think about it rationally, think about how she would react in his shoes. It hurt, of course it did, that he could leave so easily. But she knew why.

"Teddy!" Rick called her over. "Would you talk to him?"

"No." She shook her head and Rick balked. Daryl looked hurt for the briefest of moments but quickly covered it up. "Of course I want him to stay but I get it... We're never gonna agree on how to handle this and Merle is family. I'd do the same damn thing."

"Thanks." Daryl murmured.

"Just don't forget that there's always a home for you with us." She smiled a little, looking again to Merle who had his usual shit eating grin on his face. "Do me a favor and tell your brother I said sorry."

"What do you need to apologize to him for?" Rick scoffed but Daryl ignored him, instead inclining his head for an answer.

"Could've got on that roof quicker. Saved his arm. Saved us from this shitty situation."

"Nah." Daryl shook his head, shouldering his crossbow. "That was his own dumb ass fault."

"Just tell him anyway. And be safe."

Rick was stood between the two, trying desperately to think of a way to talk Daryl out of leaving. Daryl opened his mouth to speak but closed it again. Instead he tilted his head, just slightly, a silent question that only Teddy knew had been asked. She nodded once and Daryl was on his way, leading his brother off into the woods.

* * *

"Let me talk to Carol." Teddy said when they finally reached the prison. She wasn't sure why, she just felt like he news would sound better coming from her. She and Carol were the two who had become closest to Daryl. She and Rick climbed out of the car, instructing the others to continue on.

"Where's Hershel?" Rick asked after checking on Carl.

"He's in the cell block."

"Where's Daryl?" Carol asked, clearly having noticed he wasn't in the car. Teddy gently took her hand and pulled her along with her.

"He ok... Merle was there."

"Merle's alive?"

"Yeah. One hand less than the last time we saw him but he's alive. Daryl went with him."

"He left?" Carol looked away, the shock bringing tears to her eyes. "Daryl left? He's gone?"

"Hey, hey... He's ok, ok? Merle's tough and so is Daryl. It's family."

"Is he coming back?" Carol asked and this time, Teddy felt the all too familiar sting at the back of her eyes. She willed the ache in her chest away and shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know."

* * *

Teddy watched Rick as he held Judith. Beth was talking to him, but he wasn't listening. His eyes had glazed over with that far away look he had the first time he emerged from the tombs after Lori died. She walked into Maggie and Glenn's cell where Hershel was holding his eldest daughter close. He offered a warm smile and a discreet glance at Maggie, a signal that the woman could use a friend right now.

"How are you?" He asked, alerting Maggie to her presence.

"Fine." She sighed. "I'm worried about my dad. He keeps spacing out, looking at thin air like there's something there."

"He just lost his wife." Maggie murmured. "Just give him some time."

Once Hershel had left Teddy took his place beside Maggie, giving a soft smile. She asked outright, what the Governor had done. Sometimes that hardest questions had to be treated like a band aid. Do it quick, it'll hurt less. The rush of relief when Maggie told her that he hadn't actually raped her was almost overwhelming.

The two talked for a little while. Maggie was angry at Glenn. She needed him, wanted his comfort and here he was making the whole thing about himself and how he felt. Teddy offered to talk some sense into him but Maggie asked her not to. She could handle it herself. She assured her that she was ok, just needed to lay down for a while and so Teddy left her to herself.

Just outside of the cells Carol and Beth were putting together a make shift bed for Judith. Just a box with some blankets but it was enough for now.

"Sophia used to wake the neighbors. 3:00 AM. Like clockwork. Ed stayed at a friend's most nights till she calmed down."

"I always wanted a child."

"Ditto." Teddy moved over, brushing her fingers over her baby sisters head.

"I didn't know that." Beth said.

"Yeah, ever since I was little. I remember my fifth birthday, my dad got me this baby doll. It was brand new and super expensive, I didn't think I'd get it. But I begged and I prayed and sure enough, he brought it over first thing in the morning. Of course, it was one of those animatronics ones that laughs and cries and moves it's arms. Let me tell you, one hour straight of robot baby crying, I didn't want it anymore." The three of them shared a laugh, dying down into silence. "Maybe one day, things will be easier. We'll be safe enough for people to be able to have children again."

"If Daryl was here I'd put money on him being the dad."

"Shut up!"

"Is there something I don't know about?" Carol was smirking at the two younger girls, pulling childish faces at each other.

"Teddy has a crush on Daryl."

"No, Bethy is a deluded hopeless romantic. You show the slightest bit of kindness to anyone and she's writing your names in hearts. Besides, he ain't here anymore."

The laughter stopped in an instant. And again, Teddy's heart ached. She wished she could take this moment and show it to Daryl. Show him just how much he means to this group. The fact that Judith's box was emblazoned with 'Lil Asskicker' said everything.

" Judith wouldn't have made it if Daryl hadn't been here. He couldn't stand to lose anyone else."

"Sounds like him."

* * *

It was later in the evening when the group finally went in to talk to the people that Carl had brought in.

"You got these people up here safely?" She asked Carl who nodded as though it was no big deal. "Proud of you." She tapped the front of his hat so it fell over his eyes, giggling and running ahead. She noticed Rick's smile at their antics, and returned it.

It wasn't a long discussion with the other group. Rick wasn't trusting of them and Teddy didn't blame him. But they deserved a chance. Hershel tried to speak to him, talk him into letting the new group stay. But Rick was looking above them, at thin air again. Teddy frowned, watching as he started to question whatever he was looking at.

"Why are you here? What do you want from me?" Carl called out to him, everyone tried to calm him but it was no use. "I can't help you. Get out! You don't belong here! Get out! Please!" He pulled his gun from his holster, aiming it around the room. The other group left, leaving the rest of them to deal with Rick.

"Hey, dad!" Teddy stepped in front of him, in front of his gun. She held her hands up, waiting for his eyes to meet hers. "It's just me now, ok? Just me..." She stepped closer, watching as his eyes repeatedly flicked up above her, to the walkway. "I'm just gonna, take this for a second ok?" She slowly placed her hands on either side of his gun, easing it from his finger tips. She held it out behind her until someone, presumably Glenn, took it from her. "Why don't we go sit down for a while? It's been a long day."

Rick closed his eyes, rubbing at them with the heels of his hand before he finally looked his daughter in the eye. He nodded, mumbling something in agreement as he numbly allowed her to guide him back to his cell. She lay him down and waited until he was fully asleep before returning to the cafeteria.

"You're dad's just been through alot lately. He'll be alright." Carol was talking quietly to Carl and Teddy smiled gratefully at her.

"He's sleeping." She said lifting the hat from Carl's head. "And you should be too, it's late."

"But-"

"I'm going to bed. I bet everyone else is soon too." Teddy glanced around and everyone nodded. "See? C'mon."

She helped Carl into bed, leaving a kiss on his cheek and a promise that Rick would be fine. Once he was settled she went to her and Beth's shared cell, shedding her boots and jeans so she could settle down in her tank top and underwear.

"Hey." Beth's head popped over the side of the bunk, peering down at Teddy. Judith's box was on the floor beside her, the baby sleeping peacefully inside. "You alright?"

"I'm good."

"You sure? I know I like to tease but you and Daryl were close."

"Yeah we were. But I'm a big girl. I'll be fine."

"You don't have to pretend you know."

"I know, Bethy." Teddy laughed a little. "I promise you I am and I will be fine."

"Alright. Night."

"Night."

Teddy rolled onto her side, letting her hand rest beside Judith. She hated lying to Beth but she still didn't want Beth to loose that hope she had. She'd seen her diary she'd started keeping, she hoped that they could live here forever. Teddy wasn't gonna be the one to take that from her and if that meant pretending that everything was ok even when it wasn't then so be it.


	12. Worriers

**Title -** _Bodies And Souls Collide_  
 **Chapter title -** _Worriers_  
 **Author -** _OblivionsGarden_  
 **Genre -** _Hurt/Comfort/Romance/Family/Horror_  
 **Disclaimer -** _I do not own The Walking Dead in anyway shape or form. I only own the plot points surrounding my oc's, not recognized from the show or comics._  
 **Chapter Word Count -** _3648 words._

* * *

It felt strange, not seeing Daryl first thing in the morning. It had become a sort of routine between him, Beth and Teddy. Whoever was up first would make coffee or tea or just get some water. Whatever they had. They'd leave it in the cafeteria and head to wake the other two. Beth only needed a light shake to wake her, Teddy just a touch and Daryl... well the girls usually just kicked his feet until he grunted something unintelligible at them.

Beth found Teddy stood in the spot where Daryl usually slept with a frown on her face. She rested her hand on her shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"You ok?"

"I'm good. Just gonna miss kicking him, that's all."

Teddy chuckled a little and returned to the cafeteria, leaving Beth to sigh. The blonde could tell when Teddy was faking her happiness most of the time. It was her defense. Teddy used a smile and a laugh to cover up how she really felt. Sometimes she missed it but Beth was getting better at seeing through her facade. Or maybe the state of the world was making it harder to pretend.

* * *

"He didn't know you were coming last time and look what happened. You were almost killed. Daryl was captured. And you and Maggie were almost executed." Hershel was trying to talk Glenn out of going back to Woodbury.

"You can't stop me."

"Rick would never allow this."

"You really think he's in any position to make that choice?"

"Hey!" Teddy glared at Glenn, his face dropping when he realized his mistake.

"I didn't mean-"

"I know what you meant. He's doing his best... He's been through alot."

"We all have." Nodded Beth.

"Which is why you need to think this through clearly. T-Dog lost his life here. Lori, too. The men that were here. It isn't worth any more killing. What are we waiting for? If he's really on his way, we should be out of here by now."

Teddy stepped back to whisper to Beth. "Can I catch up from you later? I'm gonna go see where dad is." Beth nodded and so Teddy left the room, heading out to the courtyard to see if she could see where Rick had gone.

After a few minutes of looking around for him, Michonne approached her from the other side of the gate. She glanced over her shoulder before looking at Teddy with an unmistakable look of pity.

"You're looking for Rick?"

"You seen him?" Michonne nodded, looking back over her shoulder and pointing to where there was a small bridge that crossed the stream. Sure enough Rick was wondering around in a daze, that far away look in his eye again. "How long has he been there?"

"A while." Both women watched him for a moment as he raised his hand, touching something that wasn't there. "He keeps doing that."

"Could you keep an eye on him whilst you're out here. I'm trying to keep it calm in there."

"Sure."

With a quick thank you and one last look at her father, Teddy returned indoors.

* * *

"There was a baby!" Daryl shouted at his older brother, finally having enough of his shit after saving a family on the bridge.

"Oh, otherwise you would have just left them to the biters, then?"

"Man, I went back for you. Even Teddy went back for you. You weren't there. I didn't cut off your hand, neither. You did that. Way before they locked you up on that roof. You asked for it."

"Teddy never came back." Merle scoffed.

"She did. Got stuck in the next building over. She was still there when I got there the next day." Daryl was pacing, anger rising in his chest. "You know she asked me to apologize to you for not getting there quicker. She thinks that if she had, you'd still have your hand, never would've met the Governor and we wouldn't be out here right now."

"She thinks she's that special? Thinks she could've stopped all this?"

"She don't owe you no damn apology that's for sure. Everything that happened on that roof was your own doing."

"You know what's funny to me? You and Sheriff Rick are like this now. And with you're real tight with his daughter too... Does he know?" Merle was smirking down at his baby brother, trying his best to get under his skin.

"Know what?"

"That you're stickin' it to his little girl?"

"Man, I ain't doing nothing to her."

"Riiight? I bet you a penny and a fiddle of gold that you never told them that we were planning on robbing that camp blind."

"It didn't happen."

* * *

"Hey, what's going on? Where's Glenn going?" Teddy asked Hershel after hearing a commotion out in the courtyard.

"He's just going out there." Hershel sighed and turned to face her. "How's Rick doing?"

"Not good." Teddy gestured to where he still stood on the bridge over the stream. "He keeps caressing the air... Do you think you could try and talk to him? Nothing I say seems to be going in."

"I think it's about time." Hershel nodded and got himself upright on his crutches. "Get the gate for me, honey."

Teddy moved to let Hershel through, staying in the courtyard to keep an eye on everything. Michonne was still out there, occasionally glancing to Rick, which Teddy was grateful of. Carl was walking up and down the cage as Axel and Carol came out. Carol gave Teddy a warm smile as they stood a little way back from her.

She watched Rick and Hershel talk, leaning her forehead against the chain link. The summer heat was making her hair stick the to back of her neck and she reached up to tighten the hair tie. She was in half a mind to cut it short but the image of her at nine years old looking like a brunette Annie kept her far from the scissors.

"Come on, daddy." She murmured to herself. "I just got you back, don't leave us now."

A sudden explosion of noise startled her from her spot, her knee jerk reaction being to drop down behind one of the benches, using it as cover. From her position she could see Axel and Carol on the ground, blood coming from them. She swallowed roughly, pulling her gun from it's holster, peeking around to find the source of the shot.

"Teddy!" Carl shouted from his spot with Beth.

He pointed up to the guard tower and Teddy nodded, gesturing for him to stay low. She quickly darted out of her poor cover, firing three blind shots at the tower as she rushed towards Carl. She felt a dull ache in her left shoulder as she reached them, getting back under cover. From here she could see that Carol was still alive, struggling to grab her weapon without getting hit.

"Carol, stay low!" She shouted over the hail of gun fire "Are you two alright?" She asked of Carl and Beth, shocked when she saw their pale faces.

"Teddy, you're hit." Beth whimpered, pointing to her shoulder.

"Wha-" Looking down she finally saw the blood running down her arm. "Shit!" She reached up and felt the wound, by some stroke of luck, just missing anything too important. She felt around on the back of her shoulder too before nodding at her brother and best friend. "Just a flesh wound I think. Through and through so I should be fine. But we gotta get dad and Hershel back safely first."

"But you're bleeding shouldn't we-" Carl began but Teddy cut him off.

"Adrenaline is a hell of a drug, kid. I'll keep moving whilst I can."

"Beth! Here." Maggie came running out of the cell block, guns in hand. She handed one to Beth and one to Teddy before moving to cover Carol so she could run to safety. "Carol, go!"

Teddy ran between cover to get back to the fence to try and spot any sign of the others when a truck came crashing through the gate. Everyone watched in silence as the back of the truck opened and walkers began to spill out onto the field. The field where Hershel and Michonne were trapped.

Somewhere in the ensuing chaos, Maggie was able to take out the sniper in the guard tower, giving them more ability to get to the others. Teddy was aiming at the walkers until Hershel finally pulled his own gun, Michonne making her way towards him. When Glenn returned he went straight to help them, he and Michonne getting Hershel into the car and towards safety.

"Dad's still outside the fence." Teddy made to run for the gate but Beth stopped her.

"He's fine. Look... Daryl."

As Glenn pulled up, he, Michonne and Hershel getting out of the car, everyone stood looking down at the field. The fence was down, the walkers were in. What they'd worked so hard to make safe had been ruined in a matter of minutes.

Teddy looked to other side of the fence where Rick was stood, looking at his ruined home. Sure enough either side of him were Daryl and Merle. The Governor was gone, the fight for now was over and her adrenaline was quickly waning. She stumbled toward the gate, beckoning for the others to make their way in, raising her gun to cover them. Maggie joined her, taking out any walkers that got to close. There was no need to waste more bullets or make more noise.

Once the others were safe, Teddy slumped breathlessly to the ground, dropping the gun and lifting a hand to her wound. Her entire left arm was soaked in red and she grimaced as the dull ache finally started to throb. She rolled her eyes and looked up at Maggie.

"I liked this shirt too."

"Teddy?" Rick came running up, anxiety twisting his facial expression. "Hershel! Come on, sweetheart... I got you." Rick pulled Teddy to her feet, letting her lean all of her weight on him when she wouldn't let him carry her.

"It's just a flesh wound, I'll be fine."

The group headed back inside, Teddy dropping onto one of the chairs in the cafeteria and pulling her shirt over her head. She grimaced when she lifted her arms, thankful that she had always opted for a sports bra when they went on runs. She kept her shirt on her arms, up to her elbows. Rick still hadn't seen her scars, nor had anyone other than Beth, Hershel and Carl for that matter. She wasn't ready for that conversation yet.

Carol rushed out the medical supplies to Hershel, helping him clean Teddy's wound before he could patch her up properly. Rick was stood over them, watching Hershel work with his breath held. Carl was holding her hand, repeatedly asking her if she was ok. She could feel her head spinning and knew she needed something to focus on. She lifted her head, spotting Daryl pacing back and forth as he watched them.

"You Dixon's have impeccable timing." She smirked a little and Daryl stopped for just a moment before resuming his actions.

"You Grimes' have an impeccable way of bringing chaos to your doorstep." Merle returned her smirk, staying close to the door, out of the way of everyone else.

"Tell me something I don't know." Teddy winced, flinching from Hershel. "Like, how the hell did a sniper get into our guard tower without us noticing? And how did the rest of them just roll up? I was out there, I didn't see a damn thing."

"That's what he does, sugar. You won't see him until he wants you to... and that's when the trouble comes."

"I'm gonna take Axel out to the back." Glenn said, lowly. "Should be clear enough to bury him."

"I'll help." Carol grabbed one of the guns and silently followed Glenn outside.

The silence returned, save for the noise of Daryl's shoes scuffing the floor and Rick's heavy breathing. After a little more flinching, Teddy's shoulder was patched up. She had been right, it wasn't a serious injury. Just a loss of blood. Beth made her a sweet tea to give her a little energy before everyone returned to the cell block, leaving Merle alone in the cafeteria for the time being.

The conversation fell to what they were going to do next. Run or stay and fight. According to Merle, this Governor was not the kind of guy you wanted to fight, but the group had worked so hard to make the prison a home. Sure, they had lost good people here, Hershel had lost his leg but Judith was born here. It was the first safe place they found since they were forced to leave the farm... Rick left in the middle of it, Carl following and Teddy was struggling to focus on anything.

"I'm gonna lay down for a while." She murmured, climbing the stairs slowly.

Once she was sat on her bunk she tried to raise her arm around in a circle, just to get some motion but the pain was too much and so instead she sunk down into the mattress and closed her eyes, listening to the others continue to talk.

"Been here before. We'll be all right."

"That's when it was just us. Before there was a snake in the nest."

"Man, we gonna go through this again? Look, Merle's staying here. He's with us now. Get used to it. All y'all."

Teddy sat up when she heard Daryl coming up the stairs. He was pacing again, a bad habit she'd noticed he had. She let out a short whistle to catch his attention before beckoning him over. He picked up his bag and headed over to her, sitting on the floor by her bed.

"You good?" She asked, letting her head drop back onto the pillow.

"You just got shot and you're asking me if I'm good?" Daryl smirked and shook his head. "Yeah, I'm good. Are you?"

"Just happy I'm not left handed. Lifting my arm hurts like a bitch." They shared a chuckle as Daryl began rifling through his bag. "What you got in there Mary Poppins?"

"Hershel mentioned that you were having nightmares." Daryl didn't meet her eye, hoping she wouldn't be angry at him or Hershel. "He said you'd been looking for sleeping pills to help but we didn't have any... Merle and I came across some cars that had been left. Found a medical box. Merle took most of it but I managed to swipe these." He held out a small pot of Ambien. "There ain't many left, I just figured-"

"Thank you, Daryl." Teddy smiled gratefully, taking the pot from him. "I'll save 'em for a bad night." She tucked the pulls beneath her pillow, touched that even in the way he had left, he still spared a thought for her out there. "I'm glad you came back. And not just cause you saved my dad from getting chomped."

"Sorry I left." He murmured, once again keeping his eyes on his own feet.

"Don't be. I already told you I get it. I'd do the same for Beth, or Carl or even Rick nowadays."

"It's good that you got close to him. Family's important."

"Yeah." She nodded. "Speaking of... I'm worried about dad. He's seeing things that ain't there."

"What do you mean?" Daryl sat up a little straighter, eyes focused on her now.

"He's been out by the stream most of the day today, talking to the air... He was shouting and screaming at nothing the day you left."

"You spoke to him?"

"I tried. Hershel spoke to him today, I don't think it did anything though." Teddy sighed and rolled onto her back, grunting at the pain in her shoulder.

"You want me to see if Merle's got any pain killers left?"

"Nothing I can't handle." She yawned. "Could you just watch dad, though. Make sure he doesn't put himself into a stupid situation. I gotta sleep."

"You got it."

* * *

Teddy woke up a while later, hearing voices just outside of her cell. She sat up with a yawn and a grimace when she stretched. She stood up and left the cell, stopping short when she saw Andrea holding baby Judith.

"Andrea?"

"Oh my- Teddy!" The two shared a hug, careful not to squash Judith between them. Andrea noticed the dressing poking out from beneath Teddy's shirt and frowned. "What happened?"

"You're boyfriend." Teddy sighed. "Shot the place up this morning. I don't know if it was a direct hit or a stray bullet. Either way it sucks but I'll live."

They spoke for a little while longer before it was time for Andrea to go back. They gave her a car to use so they knew she'd be safe and said their farewells. Teddy was stood with Michonne, a tight tense feeling in her chest. Michonne frowned at her when she noticed her shifting from foot to foot.

"It ain't right, her going back to him. She belongs with us."

* * *

Later that evening, most of the group were sat around a number of lamps in the cell block. Daryl and Hershel were stood off the side and Rick was trying to settle Judith. Teddy was stood at the foot of the stairs, hand pressed to her wound in an attempt to ease the pain.

"They hung a sign up in our town. If you live it up, you won't live it down." Beth begun to sing, smiling over at Teddy. Teddy returned the smile, ignoring the twinge in her heart. She missed singing, missed her band. She always wondered what happened to them but refused to allow herself to dwell on it too long. "So she left Monte Rio, son. Just like a bullet leaves a gun. With charcoal eyes and Monroe hips, she went and took the California trip. Well, the moon was gold and her hair like wind. Said don't look back now, just come on, Jim." Teddy noticed Merle come in from the cafeteria to listen. She made her way over to him, leaning on the wall beside him. "You got to hold on, hold on. You got to hold on. Take my hand, I'm standing right here. You got to hold on. Well, he gave her a dime-store watch. And a ring made from a spoon. Everyone's looking for someone to blame. If you share my bed, you share my name..."

"How's that shoulder treating you?" He asked in a quiet voice, quieter than had ever heard him speak before.

"Like I did something bad in a past life." She laughed. "What are you thinking?"

"What?"

"There's always something running through your mind. Always trying to figure out what your next move is or who you need to argue with next. So what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that you worry about other people too much." Merle folded his arms over his chest as he looked down at her. "You worried about little Sofia at the camp. You worry about Carl and your dad, Beth, even my baby brother. Here you are with a bullet wound in your shoulder and you act like it ain't bothering you none."

"It don't bother me."

"Bullshit." Merle sniffed. "I heard you were even worried about me. Worried enough to stay where the herd was, try and get me off that roof. Worried enough to feel like all this shit is on you."

"If I had got onto that roof-"

"I wouldn't have gone back to that shit hole camp. Well, I would'a dropped by for Daryl but that's all. Still would've ended up on the road. Still would've found the Governor. Still end up right where we are now."

"I don't believe that." Teddy shook her head in frustration. "If you'd been with us you'd be different... You're not the bad guy you pretend to be Dixon. You're just too wrapped up in your image."

"Is that so?"

"Mmhmm. I think you're scared to be anything otherwise." She looked up to meet his eyes. "Daryl was like you. All anger and yelling all the time. He's different now. He talks more, he's honest with us. He's part of the family... You could be too if you let yourself."

"Don't think Glenn wants a brother like me."

"Glenn has every right to be angry. We've all been angry at each other at some point but we're still family. No matter what happens it's gonna end with all of us. Hell, I didn't even go with them after that camp. Still ended up with them though."

"You left?"

"Daryl gave me his truck and I headed to Hershel's. Beth and I knew each other before."

"Yeah, you and my baby brother have gotten pretty close since Atlanta, ain't you." He lightly bumped her with his hip and Teddy snorted.

"Get your mind outta the gutter, Dixon. Daryl is my friend, nothing more, nothing less... He just understand me better than others sometimes."

"Right. And that's all it is." Merle was smirking, in that teasing way he had when he was teaching her how to fight.

"Best shut your mouth."

The two laughed together, trying to keep quiet and not disturb the gentle peace that had settled over the prison for the evening. It was weird that it should feel so settled after the day they'd had. Daryl and Rick looked over to them, Daryl smiling, Rick showing a look of wariness. Rick didn't trust Merle and he, like the others, had every reason not to. But Teddy knew him a little better than that. She had spent more time with him and Daryl at the camp and believed within her heart of hearts that Merle wasn't really a bad man.

* * *

 **A/n -** _Please leave a review, it's lets me know if people are still interested in this story. xx_


	13. The Death Of A Good-ish Man

**Title -** _Bodies And Souls Collide_  
 **Chapter title -** _The Death Of A Good-ish Man_  
 **Author -** _OblivionsGarden_  
 **Genre -** _Hurt/Comfort/Romance/Family/Horror_  
 **Disclaimer -** _I do not own The Walking Dead in anyway shape or form. I only own the plot points surrounding my oc's, not recognized from the show or comics._  
 **Chapter Word Count -** _2807 words._

* * *

A shuddering breath escaped Teddy's lips as she shot up in her bunk. Another nightmare. She could still feel the burning sensation on the back of her neck and absentmindedly lifted her hand to touch the sweat soaked skin there. She slipped out of bed, padding to the cafeteria to get herself a small glass of water.

"Oh, hi." She hadn't expected to see Merle sitting at the table, rubbing the skin around his arm. He wasn't wearing his prosthetic and now she could see, even in the dim lighting, how red and sore his skin looked. "We might have something you can put on that." She hummed. "Just to ease it a little. Can't imagine that metal thing is comfortable."

"It ain't." Merle nodded. "But it's got a knife on it and it serves me well."

"Get you a gun attached and you can be the new robocop." She teased, sitting opposite him. "You want anything?" She asked again, nodding to his arm but he shook his head.

"I already told you, you worry about other people too much."

"It's a cover." She drank some of her water as he watched her. "Inside, deep down I'm actually a heartless asshole. This whole caring thing is a cover. Whereas you... Are the opposite."

"That right?"

"Yep." She popped the 'p' with a smile. "You're just a big 'ole teddy bear, Merle Dixon. Just like your brother."

"You're the Teddy bear, by name and nature."

"Jesus, don't." She grimaced, running a hand over her tired eyes. "Dad used to call me that when I was a kid... His little Teddy Bear."

"Aww, now ain't that sweet."

"Shut it." She stood from the table, waving to Merle and heading back to bed, taking two of the ambien Daryl had brought her, hoping for at least a few undisturbed hours.

* * *

Teddy was pacing, watching as the others sorted through the various weapons and ammo collected on the table. Rick, Hershel and Daryl had left earlier that morning after hearing from Andrea that this Governor wanted to meet. Teddy had wanted to tag along but both Rick and Daryl insisted she stay behind, watch Merle and Glenn and make sure no fights broke out whilst they were gone.

"The three of them are right in the middle of it. No idea we're coming. They could get taken hostage or killed. A thousand things could go wrong." Glenn said, pulling Teddy from her reverie.

"And they will."

"My dad can take care of himself."

"Sorry, son, but your dad's head could be on a pike real soon."

"Dixon!" Teddy snapped, pulling Merle's focus. "Don't say that shit to him."

"You telling me that you're wearing a hole in the floor just cause you like walking?" Merle moved closer to her with his usual arrogant smirk. "Or is it cause you're worrying about dear old daddy?"

"Of course I'm worried, be dumb not to be. But like Carl said, the three of them together can handle it."

"It's not the right move. Not now. Can't take the risk of putting them in the crossfire. That's my decision. It's final."

Glenn left the room, Maggie following close behind as Merle dropped back into his seat.

"Who put China man in charge?"

"Korean." Carl corrected.

"No one is in charge." Teddy murmured. "Glenn's just doing things that need to be done."

"And you're ok with that?" Merle tilted his head as he watched her. "You know you're following pretty closely in Officer Friendly's footsteps."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean it won't be long until you're calling the shots, making orders... Like father, like daughter."

"I'm not like my dad." Teddy frowned, looking down at the floor. "I'm not a leader. Never will be."

"I think you'd be good." Carl smiled and Merle nodded his head in agreement.

"Hell, even I'd let you boss me around. And I don't take orders from nobody."

"Except the Governor." Michonne finally spoke up, a dangerously mischievous look in her eyes.

"She's got a point, Dixon." Teddy chuckled when Merle huffed and left the room, shooting a wink at Michonne who seemed to quickly replace her impassive mask.

* * *

It wasn't too long later, as Teddy was cooing over Judith to see if she could raise a smile, that a gunshot sounded from the cafeteria sending the baby into hysterics. Teddy gestured for Carl to watch her whilst she headed down, pistol in hand.

She approached Beth from behind, glancing at the gun in the blondes hand. Glenn and Merle were both panting on the opposite side of the room, Michonne and Maggie close by. Teddy made a noise of frustration as she replaced her gun in her belt.

"Can you guys act your damn age for five minutes. We do have a baby upstairs you know."

Glenn and Maggie left the room, Beth following behind. Teddy watched Merle and Michonne for a moment until Merle nodded to here, letting her know that he was calm now. She left them alone, returning to her siblings whilst they waited for the others to get back.

* * *

Teddy was scared. Not of the Governor, that wanted them all dead, but because of Carl's reaction to the news. This young boy who had already grown up far too fast was insisting that they stay and fight. Teddy had been so focused on keeping Beth's innocence that she'd forgotten to do the same for him. Could she have really saved it, after he had to kill his own mother? She shook her head, leaving Carl in one of the cells to head outside, spotting Hershel and Rick having a quiet conversation.

Sensing it was something she shouldn't intrude on she wondered around the courtyard aimlessly until she found Merle. He was smoking, sat on top of a bench. She joined him quietly, wondering where he got the cigarettes from.

"Daryl snatched 'em off a walker this morning." He spoke before she could ask. "Here." He held the cigarette out to her but she shook her head.

"Don't smoke."

"You're really worried about cancer in this world?"

"No. Just seems pointless to start an addiction when I know I'm not gonna be able to keep it going."

"Suit yourself." Merle shrugged, placing it back between his lips. "So what's on your mind Grimes Junior."

"Can I ask you a question about you and Daryl? When you were kids..."

"Depends on the question."

"Hypothetically, say Daryl was Carl's age and he wanted to fight someone you knew you wouldn't win against. Would you stand by him?"

Merle was quiet for a minute as he thought the question over and Teddy saw a hundred different emotions pass on his face that she'd never seen on him before. For a moment she thought he wasn't going to answer, but finally, he spoke.

"Yes and no." He took one last drag of the cigarette and put it out on the bench. "I'd let him know I agreed with him wanting to fight, hell I would too no doubt. But I'd put him in his place about the when and how. Remind him he ain't as experienced as me."

"Sounds like you've done this before."

"Once or twice. Daryl always hated kids at school when they'd say shit about our family. Shit that no snot nose little brat ever really understood."

"Kids can be horrible." Teddy nodded. "Not sure Carl's gonna listen to me though. He's been through so much already."

"Just needs someone to guide him right, that's all."

* * *

"Are you serious?" Teddy was staring incredulously at her father. "She just helped us get Glenn and Maggie back and you just want to hand her over to that psycho?"

"Keep your voice down." Rick placed his hand on Teddy's arm, trying to calm her but she shook him off.

"I don't trust her yet and I would think anyone who does is an idiot. But I'm not about to send her to her death... He assaulted Maggie and they were only there for less than a day. If he does that in such a short time what do you think he's gonna do to her?"

"If we don't do this, everyone here will die."

"If we do do this, everyone here is just as bad as he is. And honestly dad... Death would be better."

Teddy stormed off, heading out into the courtyard. There were walkers at the fence again and so she picked up a discarded crowbar and began to kill them, letting out her anger as she did. She could feel Daryl's eyes on her but refused to turn and look at him. He'd probably side with Rick on this one, he hadn't trusted Michonne for a second since she got here.

She knew Hershel would have no part in this, Glenn and Maggie wouldn't either. In fact, the only people who would were Rick, Daryl and probably Merle. Hell, if Rick was about to ask Merle for help then he really was desperate. Rick would never do that out of choice.

"Fuck!"

Teddy yanked the metal tool from a walkers eye socket, dropping it onto the ground and turning back to prison. She headed inside to see Rick heading up the steps to where she knew Merle was. He really was desperate. She clenched her fists absentmindedly, wondering what to do. She didn't want to give Michonne up but if Rick was this desperate, maybe there really was no other choice. Her mind wondered to Dale, wondering how he would've decided on something like this. She chuckled bitterly. Dale would've left the group long before they ever got to this point.

"You're angry." Michonne was in the doorway of the cafeteria, watching her with curious eyes.

"Mostly." She nodded. "You're guarded."

"So are you."

"Yeah." Teddy moved to take a seat at the table, watching the older woman with interest. "Are you planning on staying?"

"No." Michonne tapped the top of her leg, the bullet wound Hershel had patched up for her. "Once I'm back to regular health I'll be gone... I am grateful for the help but I don't want to impose on your family."

"Hm." Teddy smirked, understanding at least that lie from her lips. "You don't want to impose on us or you don't want to get attached to us?" Michonne opened her mouth to reply but remained silent. "I was the same at the start. So was Daryl. You won't be able to help it. People have a way of getting under your skin and anchoring you to them. If it's not us it'll be someone else. Someone like Andrea."

"Don't."

"Don't bullshit me, you and her were close. She seemed happy when she came here and saw you. Haven't seen her that happy since Amy." Michonne tilted her head, confused. "Her sister. Got bit. Andrea put her down."

"She never said."

"She wouldn't. She's Andrea... Miss, I don't need no help, I can handle it myself. It's what she does. It's what I do, what you do too no doubt." The two women shared a nod. "Look, if you really want to leave then I won't stop you. But I also wouldn't mind having another bad ass lady around, you know. We've been lacking since we lost Andrea."

"We'll get Andrea back." Michonne said softly as Teddy stood to leave. "She's not stupid. She'll realize who he really is sooner or later."

* * *

"Teddy? Teddy?" Rick's voice echoed along the walls, to the cell that Teddy was sat in. She sighed, heading down to him, wondering if he was going to try and get her to help take Michonne again. She would have no part in this, she'd already decided.

"What?"

"Plans off, but Merle and Michonne are gone." He was panting, clearly he'd been running to find her. "Daryl's gone to find them, but we need to be ready here. I need your help."

"No, you need Glenn's help. Get Glenn, Maggie, Carol, shit get everyone. I'm going after Daryl."

"But-"

"I'm not letting him go off alone, he'll get killed. Has he gone already?"

"Courtyard..." Rick watched her rush off, murmuring a 'be safe' despite the door already closing behind her.

She ran as fast as she could down the courtyard, through the gate, hollering for Daryl to wait as he was climbing on his bike. He hesitated, turning to look at her as the engine rumbled to life beneath him. She didn't stop to talk, just hopped on the back, gripping his shoulders and huffing a quick 'let's go'. Knowing arguing would be pointless, Daryl headed off out of the prison gate, towards the barn.

He stopped when he spotted Michonne coming down the street, the two of them climbing off the bike and rushing up to her.

"Hey! Where's my brother? You kill him?"

"He let me go." Michonne carried on up the street, Daryl going off ahead.

"Don't let anyone come after me."

"You going back?" Teddy asked and Michonne nodded. "Tell them we'll be back soon... I gotta make sure he's ok." Another nod and Teddy was back on Daryl's heels.

She wasn't too far behind him, both walking with weapons drawn given the amount of walkers surrounding the barn. Teddy was frowning, something was wrong it was obvious. The Governor wouldn't still be here with all of the dead around like this. And she was almost certain she'd seen some of these men before, at Woodbury.

Hearing Daryl's voice she ran quietly forward, stopping short when she saw him shoving a walker away. She raised up her gun, taking aim as she wondered why he hadn't killed it himself, until she heard his sob. The sound took her off guard, arms lowering for a split second and she finally saw the walkers arm, or lack thereof. A metal hand where his right should've been. Where it would've been had Teddy just been quicker onto that damn roof.

She took aim again, ready to finish Merle but just couldn't pull the trigger. Carl's words echoed in her head as Daryl finally pulled his knife and plunged it into Merle's head. 'It should be family.' She replaced her gun, taking out her knife for the few walkers that were still wondering as she let Daryl mourn, too fearful of straying whilst he was unfocused. She could feel the tears prickling the back of her eyes but she sniffed them away, looking up at the sky to keep her eyes dry.

Whilst she waited for Daryl to be ready to leave, she thought about Merle and all he'd done for her. People looked at him as though he were a monster, pure evil... But she knew different. She knew the man who had saved her life, took her to shelter, taught her how to fight and how to shoot, how to stand up for herself. She owed him so much and she only wished she had had the chance to repay him.

She heard Daryl's shuffling footsteps coming closer and she finally looked up to meet his eye. He didn't say anything, didn't look at her. Teddy reached out for his hand, used her fingers to grip his chin and make him look at her.

"We can bury him, if you'd like." She said softly, waiting until he nodded before heading into the barn to find a shovel.

Daryl attempted to help but she told him to sit, keep watch for walkers or anyone from Woodbury. Really it was just an excuse to make Daryl take his time rather than rushing off with a head full of shit. It took an hour or two, but eventually the grave had been dug. Daryl lifted his brothers shoulders, Teddy took his ankles and together they lowered him into the grave, wrapped in an old tarp they had found in the barn. Another hour and the grave was filled in, marked by a hastily made grave marker. It was a crude chunk of wood, hammered into the ground with 'Merle Dixon' carved into it. As a last thought Teddy knelt back at the marker carving the words 'friend and brother' beneath.

"You wanna say anything?" She asked but Daryl shook his head. "Ok. I, uh... I don't really know what I should say. Merle might not always have been a good man, but he went out one. He's got us a shot, and we'll make damn sure we use it right."

Daryl remained silent, all the way back to where they had left the bike and all the way to the courtyard of the prison. It was only as they were about to walk through the door that he finally spoke.

"Thanks." It was quiet, she would've missed it had he not caught her elbow first.

"Anytime." She nodded. "It's family."


End file.
